Is It a Termite? How to Tell Termites From Look-Alikes

• Termites have a broad, unpinched waist, unlike the ant's thin pinched waist.
• Termite antennae are straight (not elbowed), versus the ant's bent/elbowed antennae.
• Termite swarmers have two pairs of wings of equal size, unlike ants whose front wings are longer than hind wings.
• Swarmers shed their wings shortly after emergence, often leaving only detached wings behind.
• Termite soldiers have distinctly larger, amber or brownish heads and larger mandibles than workers, for colony defense.

People most often mix termites up with:

• Ants

Open the other page and compare its list against the marks above; the differences are usually in the antennae, wings or the way the body is divided.

Termites are economically significant structural pests requiring professional treatment, but in nature they also play a positive ecological role, breaking down woody debris and returning nutrients to soil.

Subterranean termites nest in soil and infest wood in contact with soil; drywood termites nest above ground directly inside dry wood without needing soil contact.

Get as close as your camera will focus, from directly above, in daylight or a bright lamp. Include the whole body with the legs and antennae in frame; a second shot from the side shows wings and body segments. Put a coin or ruler next to it for scale. For a bite or a bug found on skin or bedding, photograph the bug itself, not the mark. The app names the likely group; use the list above to confirm.