Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, 1909 (ITIS)
Formosan subterranean termite (FST), ground termites
East Asia (Lax and Osbrink 2003)
1960s (Messenger et al. 2002)
Arrived accidentally on ships from the Pacific (Messenger et al. 2002)
Damages landscape trees and causes significant structural damage to buildings (Lax and Osbrink 2003)
Formosan Subterranean Termite, Adults, worker (top), soldier (bottom)
Gerald J. Lenhard
Distribution / Maps / Survey Status
Selected Resources
The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.
Partnership
International Government
State and Local Government
Academic
Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Coptotermes formosanus. [Accessed Sep 16, 2023].
Lax, A.R., and W.L. Osbrink. 2003. United States Department of Agriculture—Agriculture Research Service research on targeted management of the Formosan subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Pest Management Science 59(6-7):788-800.
Messenger, M.T., N.Y. Su, and R.H. Scheffrahn. 2002. Current distribution of the Formosan subterranean termite and other termite species in Louisiana [PDF, 103 KB]. Florida Entomologist 84(5):580-587.