Cryptotermes brevis
FAMILY
Kalotermitidae
TAXONOMY
Termes brevis Walker, 1853, Jamaica.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Furniture termite.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Alates medium size, 0.4–0.5 in (10–12 mm) from head to tip of wings; median vein curving forward to meet anterior margin in outer one-third of wing; yellow brown. Soldiers have distinctive phragmotic (pluglike), deeply wrinkled head with high frontal flange; short mandibles.
DISTRIBUTION
The most widespread termite species. Regarded as a "tramp" species because easily spread in any item of wood furniture, in the wooden spars, masts, and planking of ships, in wooden pallets, and dunnage (packing material in ships). Native to the West Indies, widely distributed on wood sailing ships after discovery of New World. Now established in most oceanic archipelagos, including the Canary Islands, New Caledonia, the Hawaiian Islands, Bermuda, the Azores, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, and most of the Gulf Coast cities of the United States, especially peninsular Florida.
HABITAT
Usually found in urban areas in structural timbers of houses, in furniture, and in boats. Rarely occurs in natural settings, prefers drier wood found in human habitation. Also requires humid air and is usually only found in coastal and island localities.
BEHAVIOR
Colonies typically small with only a few thousand individuals, but infested structures may have numerous colonies. Each colony occupies galleries extending a few meters in length. Fecal pellets distinctively shaped, short, six-sided cylinders. Infestation usually detected by piles of fecal pellets which termites dump out of galleries through small round "kick holes" quickly sealed with fecal plaster.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Xylophagous, survives in variety of woods, particularly sound hardwood and softwood timbers, needs very dry and sound wood.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Colonies pro-eusocial, headed by primary reproductives or secondary neotenic replacement reproductives. Neotenic reproductives develop quickly when primaries are removed and engage in lethal fighting until single reproductive pair is
reestablished. In Florida, alates fly between dusk and dawn from April to June. After short dispersal flight, wings are broken off and pairs search for holes and crevices in which to form copularium. Mating does not occur until pair seal themselves in.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened; expanding and prospering due to human activity.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Destructive pest of human-made wooden structures, particularly houses and historical buildings. Sometimes referred to as the furniture termite because of its unusual ability to form colonies in relatively small, moveable, wooden items and furnishings. Also known to attack books and archived documents.
