Reticulitermes hesperus

Reticulitermes hesperus, the western subterranean termite, is a species of termite in the family Rhinotermitidae. It is found in Central America and North America.[1][2][3]

Reticulitermes hesperus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Infraorder: Isoptera
Family: Rhinotermitidae
Genus: Reticulitermes
Species:
R. hesperus
Binomial name
Reticulitermes hesperus
Banks in Banks & Snyder, 1920

Ecology

Adults and nymphs are preyed on by the larvae of the lacewing Lomamyia latipennis. The lacewing lays its eggs on stumps and rotten logs and the newly hatched larvae make their way to termite galleries via crevices. Having found a termite, the first instar larva waves its abdomen and releases an allomone which paralyses the termite in two to three minutes; it then consumes the termite. Second and third instar lacewing larvae can subdue several termites at the same time.[4][5]

References
  1. "Reticulitermes hesperus Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  2. "Reticulitermes hesperus". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  3. New, T.R. (1991). Insects as Predators. NSW University Press. ISBN 9780868402765.
  4. "Reticulitermes hesperus (western subterranean termite)". Invasive Species Compendium. CABI. Retrieved 29 November 2021.

Further reading
  • Krishna, Kumar; Grimaldi, David A.; Krishna, Valerie; Engel, Michael S. (2013). "Treatise on the Isoptera of the world". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History (377). hdl:2246/6430.


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