Lacteus Termite vs Forest Demoiselle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lacteus Termite Forest Demoiselle
Scientific Name Coptotermes lacteus Calopteryx syriaca
Order Blattodea Odonata
Family Rhinotermitidae Calopterygidae
Size 4-6 mm 44-50 mm
Habitat Woodlands Rivers & Streams
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Eastern Australia Asia, Europe
Conservation Least Concern Vulnerable

Lacteus Termite

An Australian mound-building termite that constructs distinctive dark, hard-walled mounds up to 2 meters tall. The mounds are a common sight in pastures and open woodland across eastern Australia. Workers are pale and soft-bodied with gut protozoa for cellulose digestion.

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Did You Know?

Their mounds are so durable that they persist for decades after the colony dies and are sometimes used as road-building material in rural Australia.

Forest Demoiselle

A Near Eastern demoiselle found along streams in the Levant region. Males have dark wings with blue-green metallic body coloring.

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Did You Know?

It is restricted to a small number of streams in the Levant, making it one of the rarest Calopteryx species.