Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

National Moth Week was July 23-31, 2022! See moth submissions.

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Photos of insects and people from the 2015 gathering in Wisconsin, July 10-12


Previous events


TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#921056
termite alate - Reticulitermes flavipes

termite alate - Reticulitermes flavipes
Highland Park, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA
May 11, 2014
Size: 11 mm, incl wings
We were walking down the sidewalk in our suburban neighborhood, minding our own business, when we were surrounded by a dense swarm of these. At 1st I thought they must be mayflies. A few landed on us for portraits (convenient); I ended up with 1 in my mouth (less convenient -- though supposedly termites are a delicacy. But I don't think you're supposed to eat the wings!). Coincidentally, we had just heard that a house ~50 m away has extensive termite damage, so maybe they came from there. But there is a riverbank patch of deciduous woods close by too.

Update: found a swarm of them gathering on the ground right at the edge of those woods same time of year (May 15) in 2020, so I think that's where they're coming from.