Tawny Cockroach vs Lacteus Termite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tawny Cockroach Lacteus Termite
Scientific Name Ectobius pallidus Coptotermes lacteus
Order Blattodea Blattodea
Family Ectobiidae Rhinotermitidae
Size 7-10 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Hedgerows Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Wood Feeders
Regions Europe Eastern Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Tawny Cockroach

A small outdoor cockroach native to Europe that lives in leaf litter and low vegetation. It is harmless and does not infest buildings.

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Did You Know?

It was recently discovered living wild in North America after being absent from the continent for 49 million years, having arrived via imported goods.

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.