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National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Home / Terrestrial Invasives / Terrestrial Invertebrates / Formosan Subterranean Termite

Formosan Subterranean Termite

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Formosan Subterranean Termite
Formosan Subterranean Termite, Adults, worker (top), soldier (bottom) - Gerald J. Lenhard
Scientific Name: 
Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, 1909 (ITIS)
Common Name: 
Formosan subterranean termite (FST), ground termites
Native To: 
East Asia (Lax and Osbrink 2003)
Date of U.S. Introduction: 
1960s (Messenger et al. 2002)
Means of Introduction: 
Arrived accidentally on ships from the Pacific (Messenger et al. 2002)
Impact: 
Damages landscape trees and causes significant structural damage to buildings (Lax and Osbrink 2003)

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Termite Distribution in Florida

University of Florida. IFAS Extension. Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center.

Images

Google Images - Formosan Subterranean Termite
Google.
Invasive.org - Formosan Subterranean Termite
University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
PaDIL - Formosan Subterranean Termite
Australian Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre. Pests and Diseases Image Library.

Videos

YouTube - Invasive Subterranean Termites in Florida

Google. YouTube; University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Formosan Subterranean Termite.

Partnership
Global Invasive Species Database - Coptotermes formosanus (insect)
IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Invasive Species Compendium - Coptotermes formosanus
CAB International.
Plantwise Technical Factsheet - Formosan Subterranean Termite (Coptotermes formosanus)
CABI. Plantwise Knowledge Bank.
Texas Invasives Database - Coptotermes formosanus
TexasInvasives.org.
The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to Invasive Species of the Galveston Bay Area - Formosan Subterranean Termite

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Galveston Bay Estuary Program; Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).

International Government
Pacific Pests, Pathogens, & Weeds - Formosan Subterranean Termite

Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. PestNet.

State and Local Government
Formosan Subterranean Termite (Coptotermes formosanus) (PDF | 283 KB)
County of Los Angeles (California). Agricultural Commissioner. Weights and Measures.
Academic
Formosan Termites in North Carolina (Jun 2018)
North Carolina State University. Cooperative Extension.
Biology of Subterranean Termites in the Eastern United States

University of Georgia. Extension.

Bulletin 1209.

EDIS - Formosan Subterranean Termite
University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension.
Electronic Data Information Source Publication #ENY121
Formosan Subterranean Termite
Texas A&M University. Center for Urban and Structural Entomology.
Formosan Subterranean Termites
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. Research and Extension.
Identifying the Formosan Subterranean Termite
University of Georgia. Extension.

Circular 868.

Pest Notes: Subterranean and Other Termites

University of California. Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program.

Pest Notes are peer-reviewed scientific publications about specific pests or pest management topics, directed at California's home and landscape audiences.

The Formosan Subterranean Termite
University of Georgia. BugwoodWiki.

Citations