Japan-introduced

Guides

• Zootermopsis

  dampwood termites

  Zootermopsis is a genus of dampwood termites in the family Archotermopsidae, containing four extant and one extinct species native to western North America. These termites inhabit decaying wood in temperate rain forests, where they digest cellulose with the aid of symbiotic gut protists and bacteria. The genus exhibits complex social organization with distinct castes including reproductives, soldiers, and pseudergates. Species identification relies on subsidiary tooth morphology in non-soldier castes, a more reliable method than soldier-based characteristics.

  Isopteradampwood-termitesocial-insectwood-decaytemperate-rainforestprotist-symbiosiscaste-polymorphismepigeneticsNorth-AmericaJapan-introduced