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Photo#156913
Dunno - Zootermopsis angusticollis

Dunno - Zootermopsis angusticollis
San Joaquin Marsh, Irvine, Orange County, California, USA
October 21, 2007
Size: roughly 15mm

termite
Possibly one of these if it was somewhat large. (Do you have a size?) They fly in the fall in CA after the first rains. This one has probably just lost its wings.

 
Guess 15mm
I think it was out and about shortly after a rain. In 35 years in this state, I've seen only two termites. (The other was last year, winged and the dry type.)

Thanks, Joyce, for the ID and info.

 
big
That's "big" so it's probably Zootermopsis angusticollis. I don't know if you have any others in that family where you are; you might wait for someone else to chime in.

If you take an evening walk in the woods the day after a rain in the fall, you have a good chance of encountering a swarm -- hundreds pour out of rotting wood and fly around bumping into you. It's quite something to see. There was a swarm on the UC Berkeley campus a few weeks ago -- there were hundreds flying around on my way to get lunch, then 15 minutes later in the same area they weren't there anymore (at least they were not so evident; I didn't look hard).

 
I'm sure you've nailed it, but will wait a bit.
The swarm sounds impressive; hope I see one eventually.

We've had a lot of wood damage to our house over the years and, while everyone else says "Termites!", I haven't seen any. Instead, ants are what I find noshing on our woodwork.

 
I agree
I think it's a termite.

 
Thanks, Lynette
That clinches it, as far as I'm concerned. Termite's on the move!

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