Yellownecked dry-wood termite

Appearance

There are four castes of these termites, the nymphs , the larvae , the soldiers and the breeding adults.
The adults reach 8–10 millimetres of length, with a wingspan of about 20 millimetres . The basic coloration of their body is pale yellow or dark brown. The pronotum is yellow-orange , while antennae and distal parts of legs are pale yellow. The male and the female have a more chitinous body, as well two pairs of membranous wings, long, narrow and slightly smoky, essential in the nuptial flight. The wings are held horizontally, overlapping the abdomen when the insect is at rest, so that just one wing is visible. The females are on average a little larger than males.
Kalotermes flavicollis has no special caste of adult workers since all the tasks in the colony are performed by nymphs.

Distribution

This species is mainly present in France, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Spain, Portugal and in the Near East and North Africa. It has recently been introduced to the Azores.

Behavior

The nuptial flight of males and females, both fertile and winged, takes place preferably overnight from the middle of July until October, when they swarm to form new colonies. After mating they lose their wings and build a new colony composed of "the royal couple" and approximately 1,000-2,000 individuals.

Habitat

Because the termites are xylophagous, their colonies usually live in the roots or trunks of old trees, digging tunnels and feeding on wood, behavior that can cause the death of infested trees. They also infest beams and roofs of the houses, libraries and archives, producing serious damages. This Mediterranean species can be encountered mainly quite close to the sea coast in warmer temperatures.