Bug FAQConstrictotermes cavifrons
Constrictotermes cavifrons · Order: Blattodea · Family: Termitidae
Constrictotermes cavifrons is an Amazonian nasute termite that builds arboreal nests high in trees. Workers are 8 to 10 mm long, and winged alates reach 17 to 19 mm in total length. They forage in large, daytime trails to feed mainly on lichens and other tiny epiphytes.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The head and abdomen are darkly pigmented, contrasting with a yellowish thorax like the workers. The imago has a brown-black, broadly oval head that is sparsely covered with long hairs.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Winged individuals measure 17 to 19 mm from tip to tip, while the body without wings is 8 to 10 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They create extensive, open foraging trails that are active during the day.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Their diet consists largely of lichens and other micro-epiphytes.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Soldiers develop from sclerotized, worker-like forms that are slightly smaller than true workers. Presoldier heads measure about 0.84 to 0.89 mm, whereas workers have heads 0.94 to 1.04 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Foraging trails are diurnal, indicating activity during daylight hours.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
This species is native to the Amazon region of South America.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What does Constrictotermes cavifrons look like?
The head and abdomen are dark, the thorax is yellowish, and winged adults have a brown-black oval head with sparse long hairs.
Source: Wikipedia
How big are these termites?
Workers are 8 to 10 mm long, and winged alates reach 17 to 19 mm in total length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are they found?
They are native to the Amazon region and build nests high in trees.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I control them?
Since their nests are high in trees and have a distinctive elongate shape with a central runway, removal usually requires treating the arboreal nest directly.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Termitidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constrictotermes_cavifrons
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.