The Formosan termite (''Coptotermes formosanus'') is a species of

termite Termites are a group of detritivore, detritophagous Eusociality, eusocial cockroaches which consume a variety of Detritus, decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, Plant litter, leaf litter, and Humus, soil humus. They are dist ...

local to southern China and introduced to Taiwan (formerly known as Formosa, where it gets its name), Japan, South Africa, Sri Lanka,

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, and the

continental United States The contiguous United States, also known as the U.S. mainland, officially referred to as the conterminous United States, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. The te ...

. The Formosan termite is often nicknamed the super-termite because of its destructive habits due to the large size of its

colonies A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their '' metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often or ...

and its ability to consume

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

at a rapid rate. Populations of these termites have become large enough to appear on New Orleans' weather radars. A mature Formosan colony can consume as much as 13

ounce The ounce () is any of several different units of mass, weight, or volume and is derived almost unchanged from the , an Ancient Roman unit of measurement. The avoirdupois ounce (exactly ) is avoirdupois pound; this is the United States ...

s of wood a day (about 400 g) and can severely damage a structure in as little as three months. Formosan termites infest a wide variety of structures (including

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size or capacity, its shape, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically used on inland waterways s ...

s and high-rise

condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...

s) and can damage trees. In the United States, along with another species, '' Coptotermes gestroi'', introduced from Southeast Asia, they are responsible for tremendous damage to property resulting in large treatment and repair costs.

Biology

''Coptotermes formosanus'' is a social insect.

Nutrition

Crops include

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

Reproduction and lifecycle stages

As an introduced species

History

Formosan termites are rarely found north of 35°N. They have been reported in 11 states, including

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, Hawaii, Louisiana,

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, South Carolina,

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, and Texas. Their distribution is restricted to southern areas of the United States because their eggs don't hatch below about 20 °C (68 °F). More information can also be found at University of Florida Entomology.

Spread of Formosan infestation

Formosan termites, since their probable landing at the Port of New Orleans around the middle of the 20th century, have become a most serious concern to pest control regulators and researchers. In the 1970's, the United States Department of Agriculture began to track the spread of Formosan infestations. Maps of counties infested by Formosans were published by the USDA in 1975, 1990, and 2001. Universities across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida have published updates since then. The annual expansion rate of Formosan infestation between 1990 and present varies from 5.3% in Mississippi to 8.1% in Texas. Chouvenc & Helmick 2015 find that ''C. formosanus'' readily hybridizes with another invasive termite in Florida, '' C. gestroi''. :Lay summary: : : : : : :These reviews cite this research. : :

Economic impact

Historic structures in Hawaii have been threatened, such as Iolani Palace in Honolulu. Formosan_Infestation_Acceleration-2022

It has its greatest impact in North America. ''C. formosanus'' is the most destructive, difficult to control, and economically important species of termite in the southern United States. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services discusses the average cost of Formosan termite damage as ''"in the $10,000 range per home.......can be much higher...in some severe cases the home may have to be demolished and rebuilt." Florida Consumer Protection.''

Formosan termite barriers

Physical barriers to Formosan termites have been developed. Most of these barriers must be installed during construction, but a few can be installed after construction. The most important application of these post construction barriers is the stone particle barrier, used to protect exposed concrete perimeters. The

International Code Council The International Code Council (ICC), also known as the Code Council, is an American nonprofit standards organization sponsored by the building trades, which was founded in 1994 through the merger of three regional model code organizations in th ...

(ICC) has issued an acceptance standard called AC 380 Acceptance Criteria for Termite Physical Barrier Systems which requires five years of controlled field trials in multiple Formosan termite infested locations. These acceptance criteria are rigorous and are drawn from the criteria used by state and federal pest control regulators for termite control methods. Formosan_Termites-Maps_of_Counties_Infected_082222

Formosan_Termites-Maps_of_Counties_Infected_082222

References

External links

Formosan subterranean termite
on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
Formosan Termite Fact Sheet
from the National Pest Management Association with information on habits, habitat and prevention
Earlham College
Senior Seminar 2002
Global Invasive Species DatabaseSpecies Profile- Formosan Subterranean Termite (''Coptotermes formosanus'')
National Invasive Species Information Center,

United States National Agricultural Library The United States National Agricultural Library (NAL) is one of the world's largest agricultural research libraries, and serves as a national library of the United States and as the library of the United States Department of Agriculture. Locate ...

. Lists general information and resources for Formosan Subterranean Termite. {{Authority control Insects of China Termites Insects described in 1909 Insects of Taiwan