Drywood termites

Definition

Termites in the family Kalotermitidae that complete their entire life cycle within sound, dry wood above ground, requiring no contact with soil moisture. Unlike subterranean termites, they form small, decentralized colonies with no true worker caste—nymphs perform all labor—and produce distinctive hexagonal fecal pellets (frass) that they expel from kick holes in infested timber. Their self-contained colonies and lower moisture requirements enable them to infest structural lumber, furniture, and dead branches in arid climates.

Etymology

From the ecological habit of inhabiting dry, sound wood without soil contact, distinguishing them from dampwood and subterranean groups

Example

The western drywood termite Incisitermes minor is a major pest of structural timbers in California, where colonies of a few thousand individuals may persist for years inside a single wooden door frame, producing piles of six-sided frass pellets as the only external sign of infestation.

Synonyms

• kalotermitids

Related Terms

• subterranean termites
• dampwood termites
• Kalotermitidae
• Frass
• eusociality
• cryptic colony
• wood-boring insects

Usage Notes

Strictly refers to family Kalotermitidae, not a grade or ecological grouping; contrast with 'dampwood termites' (Termopsidae sensu lato, requiring moist decaying wood) and 'subterranean termites' (Rhinotermitidae and others, dependent on soil). The common name is sometimes applied loosely to any dry-wood-dwelling termite, but specialists reserve it for Kalotermitidae. Identification relies on fecal pellet shape, soldier mandible morphology, and lack of a fontanelle gland opening on the head.