Wood Cockroach vs African Nasute Mound Termite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Wood Cockroach African Nasute Mound Termite
Scientific Name Ectobius lapponicus Nasutitermes latifrons
Order Blattodea Blattodea
Family Ectobiidae Termitidae
Size 6-10 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Underground Forests
Diet Detritivores Wood Feeders
Regions Europe West Africa, Central Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Wood Cockroach

A small outdoor cockroach that lives in European leaf litter and never enters buildings.

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Did You Know?

Unlike pest species it avoids human habitation and cannot survive indoors.

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.

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Did You Know?

The defensive secretion of nasute soldiers contains terpene compounds that are not only sticky but also toxic to small arthropod predators.