Winged (alate) Termites on an oak leaf
Here are winged (alate) Termites (order Isoptera or Blattodea) on fallen leaves in the in the woods today. This wasn't a particularly large swarm, compare this photo and this photo from years past. Rain yesterday, termites today -- I guess that's how they synchronize their swarms with other termite colonies so that they'll all emerge at the same time, thereby increasing the chance of mating across swarms to form new colonies. Maybe these are Subterranean Termites in the family Rhinotermitidae? I seem to find them in both spring and autumn. Birds and lizards love the swarms -- like little flying hors d'oeuvres! (San Marcos Pass, 19 November 2023)
Winged (alate) Termites on an oak leaf
Here are winged (alate) Termites (order Isoptera or Blattodea) on fallen leaves in the in the woods today. This wasn't a particularly large swarm, compare this photo and this photo from years past. Rain yesterday, termites today -- I guess that's how they synchronize their swarms with other termite colonies so that they'll all emerge at the same time, thereby increasing the chance of mating across swarms to form new colonies. Maybe these are Subterranean Termites in the family Rhinotermitidae? I seem to find them in both spring and autumn. Birds and lizards love the swarms -- like little flying hors d'oeuvres! (San Marcos Pass, 19 November 2023)