Nasutitermes
Nasutitermes are easily recognised by the snout (nasute) of the soldiers. The colonies can get very large and can cause significant damage if undetected for a long period of time.
Common species:
- Nasutitermes exitiosis
- Nasutitermes walkeri
- Nasutitermes graveolous
Distribution:
- Nasutitermes exitiosus – Across the southern half of Australia
- Nasutitermes walkeri – Coastal belt from tropical north Queensland to just south of Sydney
- Nasutitermes graveolous – Northern coastal regions of Northern Territory and Queensland (north of Mackay)
Typical nest location:
From small dome-shaped mounds to huge 7m tall cathedrals and arboreal tree nests, Nasutitermes are the true mound builders.
- Nasutitermes exitiosus – Builds dome shaped mounds up to a metre in height
- Nasutitermes walkeri – Builds distinctive arboreal nests on the trunks or branch forks of trees (nests often house birds, lizards and other animals)
- Nasutitermes graveolous – Builds basketball-shaped arboreal mounds in the branches of trees
Colony structure / size:
- Central nester – meaning they tend to have one central nest where the queen resides.
- Pest species generally form small to medium sized colonies that can number many thousands of termites, although N. exitiosis mounds may contain up to a million termites.
Distinguishing features / behaviours
- Nasutitermes can be easily identified by the pointed snout or nasus at the front of the soldier’s head.
- Identification between species can be difficult; however, the geography of where they are found, and the presence and type of mound can be useful
Feeding preferences:
Strongly and at times exclusively favouring hardwood timbers
Appearance of damage:
Mudding/leads are usually very dark to jet black in colour no matter what the soil type
Economic significance
Can cause severe damage to timber in service if undetected for a long period of time however, mostly a grazer of decayed/weathered external timber e.g. fences, power poles and landscaping timber
Treatment notes:
- Stage 1 treatment (curative) – dusting and foaming work well
- Stage 2 treatment (preventative) – soil applied liquids applied correctly work well
Baiting Nasutitermes colonies can produce variable results and when success is achieved it can often take longer than other species. The exact reason for this is unknown but it is likely to be due to differences in behaviour and biology.
Other comments:
- Nasutitermes is the most evolutionary advanced termite genus
- One of the few termites that forage/move over open ground during daylight hours
Information on other species of termites.
