Giant Northern Termite vs African Nasute Mound Termite
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Giant Northern Termite | African Nasute Mound Termite |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mastotermes darwiniensis | Nasutitermes latifrons |
| Order | Blattodea | Blattodea |
| Family | Mastotermitidae | Termitidae |
| Size | 10-15mm | 4-6 mm |
| Habitat | Forests | Forests |
| Diet | Wood Feeders | Wood Feeders |
| Regions | Oceania | West Africa, Central Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Giant Northern Termite
The most primitive living termite and the only surviving member of its family. It retains many cockroach-like features including laying eggs in cockroach-like oothecae. It is extremely destructive to timber.
Did You Know?
It is a living fossil, the most primitive termite alive, retaining cockroach-like features that link termites to their ancestors.
African Nasute Mound Termite
A mound-building nasute termite found in West and Central African forests. Colonies construct carton mounds at ground level or on tree bases. Soldiers have a broad head with a short, wide nasute projection for spraying defensive terpenes.
Did You Know?
The defensive secretion of nasute soldiers contains terpene compounds that are not only sticky but also toxic to small arthropod predators.