🪐 View in 3D Galaxy 📏 View on 3D Scale Stage

🧬 Biological Classification (Kingdom to Species)Reticulitermes speratus

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Blattodea

Family

Heterotermitidae

Genus

Reticulitermes

Species

Reticulitermes speratus

Insecta❔ Diet unknown

Japanese termite

Reticulitermes speratus (Japanese termite · ヤマトシロアリ)

🛡️ Conservation Status (IUCN Red List)NE (Not Evaluated)

Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List yet.

Geological Era

Extant

Diet

No data

Length · Height

No data · No data

Mass · Top Speed

No data · No data

Habitat & Fossil Locality

Wooden nests divided into multiple chambers connected by small passages, as studied in Japanese research

💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed

💡 The chambers of its wooden nest are linked by tiny passages; young soldiers guard near the king and queen's chamber, while older soldiers guard the outer perimeter near nest entrances (Frontiers review).
💡 Research shows that workers use lysozyme and β-glucosidase enzymes on the eggs as signals to recognize and pile eggs together (Frontiers review).

Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.

#흰개미#Reticulitermes speratus

📖 1. Overview

The Japanese termite is a social insect divided into workers, soldiers, and reproductives that lives in colonies inside wooden nests.

🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology

Soldiers secrete a substance called (−)-β-elemene from their bodies, which inhibits workers from differentiating into soldiers and also suppresses fungi. Workers have an enzyme (β-glucosidase) in their salivary glands and hindgut that breaks down cellulose.

🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior

The nest is divided into multiple chambers connected by small passages, with the king and queen's chamber deep inside the wood. Workers release an odor substance (aggregation pheromone) at the nest site to gather nestmates.