TERMITES

Pacific Coast Termite, Zootermopsis angusticollis

Order: Blattodea (Termites)

Size: Up to 1"

Habitat: Moist woodlands around stumps, fallen trees, wooden structures

Range: Western United States

The Pacific Coast Termite is a member of the “rotting wood termites” group because it needs moist wood to exist. These termites are also known as “white ants” because of their superficial resemblance to ants. They form highly social, organized colonies that contain reproductive members (the largest), soldiers (for defense), and young who serve as workers. In general, they are soft-bodied, whitish, with no dramatic indent between the thorax and the abdomen (as in in ants). Individuals who become reproductive forms are brownish and have wings, while soldiers are pale with dark brown heads and enlarged pincers. They feed on rotting wood, the cellulose of which is digested by microorganisms in their intestines. They can occasionally be destructive to older wood structures but are most common in the wild, where they are important as decomposers of organic material. The soldier form is illustrated.