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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Cockroaches and Termites (Blattodea) » Isoptera (Termites) » Subterranean termites (Rhinotermitidae) » Reticulitermes
Photo#261442
termite - Reticulitermes
Copyright © 2009 Donald Erickson

termite - Reticulitermes
Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado, USA
March 28, 2009
Size: 4mm
These were coming up by the hundreds from the cracks in the cement of my driveway, and some from the joint of my driveway and the frame of my garage. This was today, about noon, temperature 48 degrees. I thought they were winged ants until I enlarged the photo, and after checking images including BugGuide, decided that they looked more like termites. In one part of the photo it looks like a few don't have wings, and in another are 3 creatures that look very much like termites, pale in color and no wings. Are they termites?

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termite - Reticulitermes termite - Reticulitermes
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Contributed by Donald Erickson on 28 March, 2009 - 7:11pm
Last updated 15 April, 2009 - 7:15pm

Termites yes!
These are definately reproductive king and queen termites. I can't I.D. which species, or family for that matter. As for the dark individuals without wings, they are quite delicate and fall off fairly easily. The three whitish colored individuals in the other image, at about mid-right, are workers I believe. Soldiers in some of the families have large jaws for defense of the colony. Some are able to exude noxious fluids in defense, while others have overly large heads to block openings in tunnels and nests.
… Stephen Schueman, 8 April, 2009 - 5:51pm login or register to post comments

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