Speculitermes Inquiline vs Globe Termite
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Speculitermes Inquiline | Globe Termite |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Speculitermes cyclops | Globitermes sulphureus |
| Order | Blattodea | Blattodea |
| Family | Termitidae | Termitidae |
| Size | 2-4 mm | 4-7 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Woodlands |
| Diet | Omnivores | Wood Feeders |
| Regions | India, Sri Lanka | Southeast Asia, from Thailand to Indonesia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Speculitermes Inquiline
A small soil-feeding termite from India that is notable for being an inquiline, living within the mounds of larger termite species. Workers are pale and blind, feeding on organic soil within the host mound. Colonies are small and inconspicuous.
Did You Know?
This termite is a mound parasite, secretly living inside the walls of other termites' nests and feeding on soil without the host colony apparently noticing.
Globe Termite
A Southeast Asian termite with soldiers that practice autothysis, or suicidal self-destruction. When threatened, soldiers contract their abdominal muscles to rupture their body wall, releasing a yellow, sticky secretion that entangles attackers. Colonies build small carton nests.
Did You Know?
Soldiers literally explode when attacked, rupturing a gland filled with toxic yellow liquid that solidifies into a sticky trap, sacrificing themselves for the colony.