Structural-pests
Guides
Heterotermitidae
Typical Subterranean Termites, Subterranean Termites
Heterotermitidae, commonly known as subterranean termites, is a family of termites elevated from subfamily Heterotermitinae (formerly in Rhinotermitidae) based on 2024 cladistic analyses. The family is sister to Termitidae, together forming the clade Geoisoptera. It includes economically significant genera Reticulitermes, Heterotermes, and Coptotermes, with C. formosanus alone causing over $2.2 billion in annual damages in the United States. Members forage through soil and construct mud tubes to access wood resources.
Incisitermes
Incisitermes is a genus of drywood termites in the family Kalotermitidae, established by Krishna in 1961. Species in this genus are distributed across the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific, including notable pests such as the western drywood termite (I. minor) and the light southeastern drywood termite (I. snyderi). These termites exhibit the characteristic biology of drywood termites, living entirely within wood without requiring soil contact.
Kalotermes
Kalotermes is a genus of drywood termites in the family Kalotermitidae, considered one of the most primitive termite families. The genus contains multiple species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions, including North America, Australia, and Europe. Species in this genus are characterized by their ability to colonize dry wood without requiring contact with soil. The genus has been studied for its social polymorphism, caste differentiation, and digging behaviors.
Kalotermitidae
Drywood Termites
Kalotermitidae, commonly known as drywood termites, is a basal family of termites with 21 genera and 419 species, making it the second most diverse termite family after Termitidae. The family exhibits a cosmopolitan circumtropical distribution and is characterized by colonies that inhabit sound wood without soil contact. Unlike many termites, Kalotermitidae lack a true worker caste; instead, immature individuals called pseudergates perform worker functions before developing into soldiers or reproductives. The family includes significant pest species such as Cryptotermes brevis and Incisitermes minor, which cause economic damage to wooden structures, furniture, and utility towers worldwide.
Reticulitermes
subterranean termites
Reticulitermes is a genus of subterranean termites in the family Rhinotermitidae, found across temperate regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. These termites are economically significant structural pests that live in soil and construct mud tubes to access above-ground wood. Colonies exhibit a three-caste system of workers, soldiers, and reproductives, with workers retaining developmental plasticity to become ergatoid reproductives. Species identification within the genus often requires molecular techniques due to overlapping morphological characteristics.