Quiz Termites: An Uninvited Guest Florida

The termites exist inside of the wood in the house in tunnels that they have carved out with their mandibles (their jaws), and there is no light inside these tunnels. The worker spends its entire life in the dark, if you want to apply a scientific name to “living in the dark” you can call it “cryptobiotic”, which means, literally, hidden living.   True or False

 Individuals in the termite colony that do have eyes are the “reproductives”.    True or False

Termites cannot see anything as long as they are confined to the inside of the colony, but once they emerge into the light they are attracted to the brightest spot available. That is why when termites swarm from a subfloor in a bedroom they are attracted to the window. It was the source of a bright light.    True or False

Many times a homeowner will call a termite control company and complain about termite infestations in their window sills, because they see the termites in the window but in actuality they have swarmed out of the colony somewhere else in the house and are attracted to that window which is the brightest source of light in that room.   True or False

There are some specific structures on the heads of termites that allow you to determine accurately which kind of termite  you are dealing with. These are the “fontanelle” and the “ocelli”, which are simple eyespots that may be located next to the compound eye. These are found as follows:

Dampwood termites – have neither ocelli nor fontanelle                                                                                  Drywood termites – have ocelli but not a fontanelle                                                                                          Subterranean termites – have both ocelli and fontanelle

True or False

One means of navigation by termites is by their sense of smell, and the use of chemical odors called pheromones.    True or False

Termites belong to the Order Isoptera. “Iso” means equal, so all members of the Order Isoptera have four wings of equal length.    True or False

Insects have a skeleton on the outside of their body, made up of a material called “chitin”. This skeleton is a protective covering, much like a suit of armor, that is relatively impervious to intrusion by things from the outside.   True or False

What causes termites to exit from the colony? There are three major stimuli that cause the subterranean termites to swarm: 

• A sudden increase in the humidity inside of the exit tubes
• The proper temperature outside of the exit tubes
• The proper light intensity outside of the exit tubes

True or False

Termites have a crypto biotic existence, hidden away in the ground or in tunnels inside the wood of a structure.    True or False

Subterranean termite workers have eyes.   True or False

Once termite alates emerge they are attracted to the brightest source of light.   True or False

Dampwood termites swarm mid-afternoon.  True or False

Termites have moniliform antennae, while ants have “geniculate” (elbowed) antennae, with a 90-degree bend at their middle.  True or False

Termites have in their gut a population of one-celled animals called enzymes. True or False

Termites lick each other’s bodies clean of dirt and mold, and in the process exchange bodily secretions.  True or False

The process of one termite sharing pre-digested food to another termite is referred to as trophallaxis. True or False

 It is only the adult male and female termites (the swarmers) that possess wings.  True or False

Termites, being insects, have three pairs of legs – that is, three legs attached to one side of the thorax and three legs attached to the other side.   T or F

Insects have a skeleton on the outside of their body, made up of a material called “chitin.  True or False