| Termite | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Blattodea |
Description[]
Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial insects which consume a wide variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus. They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the soft-bodied and typically unpigmented worker caste for which they have been commonly termed "white ants" however, they are not ants, to which they are distantly related About 2,972 extant species are currently described, 2,105 of which are members of the family Termitidae.
Diet[]
The food of termites is mainly cellulose, which is obtained from wood, grass, leaves, humus, manure of herbivorous animals, and materials of vegetative origin (e.g., paper, cardboard, cotton). Most lower termites and many higher ones feed on wood that is either sound or partly decayed.