Neotenic-reproductives
Guides
Amitermes parvulus
Amitermes parvulus is a higher termite species studied primarily in urban environments, where it exhibits unusual colony characteristics for its group. The species forms few but spatially expansive colonies that frequently merge together, with all studied colonies headed by inbred neotenic reproductives—traits rarely observed in higher termites. It co-exists with the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes in urban landscapes, with differences in food preference and availability potentially enabling this co-existence. The species was first described by Light in 1932.