Insects are a group of animals that, when found alone or in small groups, can go unnoticed by us. However, some species gather in the thousands or even millions, making their presence quite noticeable. A peculiarity of these invertebrates is that they have conquered a large number of habitats thanks to their various biological strategies.
In this article on our site, we want to introduce you to the differences between winged termites and flying ants, two types of social insects that can live in extremely numerous colonies. We invite you to continue reading and learn about these particular insects.
What are winged termites and flying ants?
Both winged termites and flying ants are the fertile females and males that found a colony and generate the offspring that will form part of it, that is, they are the reproducing individuals of the group.
In this sense, when we are in the presence of a termite or ant with wings, we have found someone from the roy alty of these social insects, although in the case of ants it does not usually refer to the male as king.
Taxonomic classification of termites and ants
One of the first differences that we can mention between these insects is their taxonomic classification, which differs in the order levelto which each of these groups belongs. Let's know how they are classified:
Taxonomic classification of termites
- Animal Kingdom
- Phylum: Arthropod
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Blatodeo (formerly Isoptera but now a suborder)
Taxonomic classification of ants
- Animal Kingdom
- Phylum: Arthropod
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hymenoptera
Characteristics of winged termites
Termites are usually classified from the social point of view into castes, which are made up of: primary reproductives, supplementary reproductives, also known as neotenic, soldiers and workers.
When referring to winged termites, we are referring to the female and male of these insects, which specifically have the function of founding a new nest and generating its offspring, so which are individuals characterized by their fertility.
The first distinguishing feature of winged termites is the presence of two pairs of wings of equal size, hence the designation isopter (iso: equal, ptero: wing), who are designated as king and queen. The wings are membranous and their dimensions are characterized by exceeding the body of the animal, which is why they are called macroptera. The body, as is common in insects, is sclerotized and is divided into three regions or tagmas: head, thorax, and abdomen. The size of flying termites ranges between 6 and 18 millimeters.
The head can be rounded, oval and possibly flattened, with straight antennae that present between 10 and 32 rounded rings The apparatus The oral cavity of winged termites is of the chewing type, and based on differences in it, taxonomic characters have been established to designate the various genera. Some differences in the thorax can also be used for the various classifications. In this last structure the wings are located, which as we mentioned are large and of equal size. They are membranous and when at rest, they cross over the back of the body.
At the base of the wings, there is a fracture line, through which this structure will detach, once the nuptial flight occurs and reproduction occurs. After losing its wings, the termite will keep a triangular scale.
The abdomen is different between males and females, there may also be differences between the various species. In this the genitals are located internally, except in the species Mastotermes darwiniensis.
Characteristics of flying ants
Ants are also highly social insects , which have individuals with different roles within their group that are distinguished into castes. In this sense, depending on the role they play, they are classified as: queens and males, both are winged and with reproductive capacity. It is common for there to be more than one queen, since if the main one decreases her reproductive capacity, she can be supplanted. There are also soldiers and workers, which in some cases can be monomorphic and in others, differ morphologically depending on the function they fulfill.
Flying ants, both male and female, are the fertile individuals of the colony. However, in some species, workers females can lay eggs that spawn fertile males.
Unlike termites, which have straight antennae, flying ants have curved ones, which is why they are known as elbowed antennae, and they are also segmented. Another aspect in which these insects differ is in wings, since these structures in ants are transparent and different in size , the previous ones are longer than the later ones. On the other hand, ants have structures or hooks on their hind wings called hamulis, which are typical of the order Hymenoptera. Additionally, winged ants have a narrowing between the thorax and abdomen, which flying termites do not.
Where do winged termites and flying ants live?
In the case of termites, three groups are distinguished: drywood, wetwood, and subterranean. Termites build their complex nests in some of these mentioned spaces, which are known as termite mounds The first and third groups are commonly found in urban areas, while the second, it is located mainly in natural areas. Winged termites can found their nests underground, build termite mounds in the form of large mounds, which even reach meters in height and are characteristic of some areas orover the trees In most cases their presence is not noticed until they have caused severe damage by the amount they reach.
For their part, the flying ants install their nests either underground, rocks, trunks, trees but there are even some nomadic species, who move regularly. The construction of the underground nests is also extremely complex, made up of chambers, with some special ones for the protection of the queen.
Although it is sometimes common to confuse a winged termite with a flying ant due to their apparent physical similarity, we already know that by observing their antennae, wings and abdomen, we can tell them apart. In addition, from the phylogenetic point of view they are not related, since the former, in fact, have a close relationship with cockroaches, while the latter with bees and wasps, among others.
