Reticulitermes flavipes
| Eastern subterranean termite | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Blattodea |
| Infraorder: | Isoptera |
| Family: | Rhinotermitidae |
| Genus: | Reticulitermes |
| Species: | R. flavipes |
| Binomial name | |
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Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar, 1837) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Termes flavipes Kollar |
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| External identifiers for Reticulitermes flavipes | |
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| Encyclopedia of Life | 469521 |
| Also found in: | |
Termes flavipes Kollar
Reticulitermes santonensis Feytaud
Reticulitermes flavipes, the eastern subterranean termite is the most common termite found in North America. These termites are the most economically important wood destroying insects in the United States and are classified as pests. They feed on cellulose material such as the structural wood in buildings, wooden fixtures, paper, books and cotton. A mature colony can range from 20,000 workers to as high as 5 million workers and the primary queen of the colony lays 5,000 to 10,000 eggs per year to add to this total.
The eastern subterranean termite (R. flavipes) is the most widely distributed Reticulitermes species. It occurs throughout the eastern United States, including Texas, and can be found as far north as southern Ontario. In 2006, R. flavipes was also recorded in Oregon, on the West coast of the United States.
Reticulitermes santonensis in France is now understood to be a synonym of R. flavipes. The species is believed to originate in the southeastern United States and to be exotic or invasive in southern Canada, Europe (France,Germany,Italy), South America (Uruguay, Chile), and the Bahamas. In the past, it has also been detected in Austria, where it was first described by Vincenz Kollar in 1837 in infested root stocks from the United States.
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Wikipedia