Termites (superfamily Termitoidea)
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5 May 2025
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Discussion
SenexRugosus
wrote:
59 min ago
Thanks @DonFletcher, it is true that these guys are in a tree stump, with no visible termite mound nearby. I'll try to get some better photos of the soldiers if they are still there.
Nasutitermes exitiosus
DonFletcher
wrote:
1 hr ago
Hi @MichaelMulvaney @AlisonMilton These soldiers look like Nasutitermes exitiosus. If they are from a termite mound, as I suspect, then that will be definitely the case.
Nasutitermes sp. (genus)
DonFletcher
wrote:
1 hr ago
Hi @MichaelMulvaney , The only soldier (1st pic) does not look like exitiosus to me. The pale head makes me suspect its one of the other Nasutitermes species that does not build a mound.
Hi @SenexRugosus, The 'beak' is the head of a soldier in one of the Gluegun genus of termites, Nasutitermes. Their jaws are reduced to the extent you cant normally see them. For defensive purposes the soldiers produce a droplet of goo from the pointed end of their snout, which gums up and dissolves enemy ants and other termite species. Soldiers are the caste that is used for identification of the species. The majority of other termites in your photos are workers, plus there is what I assume to be an immature male.
Hi @SenexRugosus, The 'beak' is the head of a soldier in one of the Gluegun genus of termites, Nasutitermes. Their jaws are reduced to the extent you cant normally see them. For defensive purposes the soldiers produce a droplet of goo from the pointed end of their snout, which gums up and dissolves enemy ants and other termite species. Soldiers are the caste that is used for identification of the species. The majority of other termites in your photos are workers, plus there is what I assume to be an immature male.
Nasutitermes exitiosus
Frecko
wrote:
Yesterday
These photos were taken before I was photographing for identification purposes.
Termitoidae (informal group)
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