Size
Worker: 1/8-inch in length.
Soldier: Body is similar to that of the worker.
Supplementary Reproductive: About 1 inch in length.
Primary Reproductive: About 1 inch in length.
Color
Worker: Light colored.
Soldier: Light colored with brown head.
Supplementary Reproductive: Light colored.
Primary Reproductive: Dark brown/black.
Soldiers have an elongated head with pincer-like mandibles. Supplementary Reproductives have either no wings or very short non-functional wings, while Primary Reproductives have four wings of equal size. Primary Reproductives are the termites most often seen in the open. They are commonly referred to as "swarmers."
Behavior
This termite is known to swarm in April and May, but small flights can occur at any time of the year. Swarming is the primary way the termite naturally spreads after it has been transported to a new area. Three elements are needed for swarming to be effective: 1) Proper food resources (cellulose and wood), 2) moisture, and 3) a physical niche. As the colony grows, specialized castes are produced for the different tasks required. The first caste produced is the workers. The second caste is the soldiers. The third caste is the reproductives. Two types, primary and supplementary, are produced in a Formosan subterranean termite colony. The two types have different functions. Primary reproductives swarm and start new colonies. They are called alates or swarmers. Although thousands of primary reproductives are produced each year, they all leave the nest. Primaries cannot become reproductive if they remain in their colony of origin. In a Formosan colony, the only primaries that reproduce are the original king and queen that started the colony. Supplementary reproductives, on the other hand, can become reproductive only in the colonies in which they were born. They take over reproduction when the primary king or queen dies or becomes separated from the main colony.
Habitat
Subterranean termites live in colonies in the ground, building vertical tunnels that look like mud tubes above ground level so that they can search for food. Because subterranean termites will die if exposed to air for an extended period of time, the tunnels provide protection from the open air, allowing workers to carry food to the nest. Subterranean termites can form tunnels through cracks in concrete, so slab homes are not exempt from these termites. They need to stay in contact with the soil in order to survive, unlike drywood termites that only need low moisture.
