Incisitermes schwarzi
(Banks, 1919)
Schwarz's Drywood Termite
Incisitermes schwarzi is a in the Kalotermitidae, commonly known as Schwarz's Drywood Termite. It inhabits dry, dead wood in intact branches and exhibits a one-piece nesting where colonies remain within their food source. Colonies are relatively small, typically containing 50–250 individuals with mixed developmental stages. The species shows strong social resistance mechanisms, with grouped individuals significantly more to fungal than isolated ones.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Incisitermes schwarzi: //ˌɪn.kɪ.saɪˈtɜːr.miːz ˈʃwɑːrtsi//
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Habitat
Dry, dead, intact branches; dry wood environments with low moisture. Colonies construct galleries within wood, with soldiers occupying peripheral regions of gallery systems.
Distribution
Documented from Grass Key and Key West, Florida. GBIF and other sources indicate broader distribution records exist but specific localities were not detailed in provided sources.
Diet
Wood; specifically dry dead wood.
Life Cycle
One-piece nester; colonies remain within their food source. Colony size approximately 100–250 individuals (mean 56 in one study). Mixed developmental stages include instars 6, 7 and nymphs. Colonies contain multiple including soldiers, nymphs, and pseudergates; most colonies contain only a single soldier.
Behavior
Soldiers exhibit non-random spatial distribution, occupying peripheral regions of galleries, suggesting defensive positioning at colony edges. Strong benefit from group living for control; isolated individuals have 5.5 times the hazard ratio of death compared to grouped when exposed to fungal . Groups of 10 individuals showed no significant difference in survival from groups of 25.
Ecological Role
Wood decomposition in dry wood .
Similar Taxa
- Incisitermes minorAlso a in the same with similar one-piece nesting and preferences; distinguished by specific morphological characters not detailed in provided sources
- Zootermopsis angusticollisDampwood with higher cuticular microbial loads and greater susceptibility to fungal ; I. schwarzi shows 1.6 times lower hazard ratio for fungal infection despite lower environmental microbial exposure
More Details
Disease Resistance
Despite inhabiting low-microbial environments with low nest and cuticular microbial loads, I. schwarzi shows lower individual susceptibility to Metarhizium anisopliae fungal than dampwood termites. This suggests that social mechanisms of resistance, rather than individual immunological adaptations, are the primary target of selection in this .
Caste Distribution
Within colonies, soldiers are non-randomly distributed in peripheral gallery regions while nymphs and pseudergates occupy more central positions. This spatial segregation likely reflects the defensive function of soldiers protecting the colony interior.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Catalogue of Life
- Meloidae Holdings | Entomology Research Museum
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- How to collect larvae of Amblycheila cylindriformis | Beetles In The Bush
- Beetle Collecting 101: Fermenting bait traps for collecting longhorned beetles | Beetles In The Bush
- Spatial Distribution of Castes Within Colonies of the Termite Incisitermes Schwarzi
- Disease Resistance in the Drywood Termite,Incisitermes schwarzi: Does Nesting Ecology Affect Immunocompetence?
- Nesting ecology and cuticular microbial loads in dampwood (Zootermopsis angusticollis) and drywood termites (Incisitermes minor, I. schwarzi, Cryptotermes cavifrons)
- Nesting ecology and cuticular microbial loads in dampwood (Zootermopsis angusticollis) and drywood termites (Incisitermes minor, I. schwarzi, Cryptotermes cavifrons)
- The spatial distribution of the sexes in colonies of the termiteIncisitermes schwarzi Banks (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae)