Banded Aridaeus vs Soil-feeding Cubitermes Termite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Banded Aridaeus Soil-feeding Cubitermes Termite
Scientific Name Aridaeus thoracicus Cubitermes fungifaber
Order Coleoptera Blattodea
Family Cerambycidae Termitidae
Size 15-25 mm Workers 3-5 mm, soldiers 5-7 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Fungus Feeders
Regions Eastern Australia (Queensland, New South Wales) Central and West Africa
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Banded Aridaeus

A medium-sized Australian cerambycid with a bright orange pronotum contrasting with dark brown elytra. It is found in eucalypt forests of eastern Australia. Larvae bore into dead and decaying eucalyptus branches.

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Did You Know?

Several Aridaeus species in Australia are so similar they can only be reliably distinguished by examining male genitalia.

Soil-feeding Cubitermes Termite

A soil-feeding termite that builds distinctive mushroom-shaped mounds. It processes large volumes of soil to extract organic nutrients.

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Did You Know?

Its mushroom-shaped mound caps shed rainwater efficiently, protecting the colony from tropical downpours.