How Big Is a Termite?

Types

• There are perhaps as many as 4,000 species of termites. However, most of these are classified under three separate types. There are dampwood termites, drywood termites and subterranean termites. The latter live beneath the surface of the ground and rarely expose themselves to the air while the drywood termites and dampwood termites live in wood.

Identification

• Termites resemble ants and are about the same size except that there are obvious differences. A termite has a more "plump" middle section than an ant, which appears to have a waist. Termites have antennae that are straight and look as if they are built out of tiny beads while an ant's antennae are curved at the ends. Termites that do fly have wings that are the same size while flying ants have wings of different lengths.

Function

• The soldier subterranean termites that defend the colony are the same size as the workers, about a quarter-inch long. The soldiers, though, will have much larger jaws with which they fend off invaders. The worker's job is to build tunnels, gather food and feed the other termites. The kings, queens and what are known as reproductives--future kings and queens--are larger, growing to 3/8 of an inch to a 1/2-inch long. Kings and queens are termites that have started their own colony. Reproductives will grow wings and one day fly off to do the same.

Size

• The drywood termite species survives in undecayed wood that is low in moisture. Drywood termites also have a social structure. The male and female reproductive drywoods can grow as long as 1/2 an inch with the soldiers getting to be 3/8 of an inch long. Winged drywood termites have wings that can be as much as a quarter-inch longer than their body. The dampwood termites need wood with high moisture content and so are mostly found in humid regions. Commonly found in rotting stumps and logs, these termites are larger than the other two types. Dampwood termites can grow as long as 3/4 an inch, with the flying dampwoods an inch long, counting their wings.

Expert Insight

• While dampwood and drywood termite colonies can number as many as a few thousand individuals, the subterranean termites can have as many as 7 million termites in one nest. They have vast underground chambers with intricate tunnels. Termite mounds are actually part of the nest above ground, common in Africa, Australia and South America. Scientists believe that their purpose is to provide a way of keeping the nests at a certain temperature through changes in air pressure within the underground chambers and the surface above.