Isoptera  

About 2, 900 termites have been described worldwide.  They undergo simple metamorphosis.  They are eusocial insects and nymphs grow into one of the castes, where they will specialize in a job for the colony.  A colony would consist of: a king, a queen, workers, and soldiers.  The colony lives in nests, which are mostly built with saliva, mud, and soil.  Nests are typically underground, but some can grow above the surface, with some of the tallest going thirty feet high.  Termites have soft bodies that need to be kept moist and the nests provide the necessary protection and thermoregulation for the colony to survive.  They frequently groom each other with their mouths.  Termites feed on wood, leaf litter, or soil.  They have bacteria in their gut, which aids with the digestion of cellulose.  As detritivores, they play a huge role in nutrient cycling.  They can be found in the fossil record as far back as the Late Triassic.

Termites develop via simple metamorphosis from egg to nymph to adult. Five to six molts are necessary for the termite to attain maturity. Those that do not achieve sexual maturity become workers or soldiers. The life cycle requires a year for completion.

Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis

Mating System: eusocial

In termite colonies, there is one king and queen pair which develop from fully winged adults. The queen develops an enlarged abdomen to accomodate her increased egg-laying capacity. She may lay millions of eggs annually. In some species, the king is smaller than the female. These fully winged adults are produced in large numbers, whereby individuals leave the original colony, locate a new nest site and mate, and establish a new colony. This may not happen for 5 to 10 years after the establishment of the original colony.

If the king and/or queen dies, or part of the colony becomes separated from the parent colony, some of the young will develop into a new king and/or queen. The new king and/or queen will achieve sexual maturity without becoming fully winged and without leaving the nest.

Special workers and soldiers care for the eggs and young. Worker and soldier termites are both male and female, sterile, wingless, most are blind, amd sometimes they are polymorphic.

Key Reproductive Features: oviparous

There are over 2,600 species of termite. These winged insects are related to cockroaches. They are known for eating wood and other plant parts. Like bees, termites live in colonies led by a queen. Other termites are kings, workers, or soldiers.