Bug FAQMacrotermes carbonarius
Macrotermes carbonarius · Order: Blattodea · Family: Termitidae
Source: Wikipedia
Macrotermes carbonarius is a large, jet-black termite whose soldiers can reach about 16 mm. Workers forage for leaf litter and occasionally decaying wood, and the species lives in lowland forests below 160 m across several Southeast Asian countries. They bite when stepped on, causing painful, blood-drawing wounds.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Soldiers, workers and winged adults are all jet-black, which sets them apart from other regional termites. The forewing veins stay separate, unlike the converging veins of Odontotermes species.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Soldier termites can grow up to about 16 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Foraging trails emerge from large underground tunnels that can be 34 to 113 m long.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
Soldier termites have curved mandibles that bite hard and are difficult to remove from skin. Bites are painful and usually draw blood.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
When a mound is breached, the colony shows complex defensive behavior, and soldiers release a fluid containing lauric-acid methyl ester, quinones and other compounds.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found below 160 m elevation in tropical to subtropical lowland forests. Typical sites include dipterocarp and coastal forests, rural areas and plantations.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Workers mainly collect leaf litter, but will also take decaying wood when it is available. Occasionally they add palm fronds or dried grass to their diet.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Mating flights happen in the late afternoon, around dusk, and last only a few minutes.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Foraging is most active at night and twilight, extending into daytime when it is humid and overcast.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Winged adults can look similar to some Odontotermes species, but their wing veins remain separate.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
Do they bite?
Yes, soldiers bite with curved mandibles, causing painful, blood-drawing wounds.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell this termite apart from similar species?
Look for the jet-black body and separate forewing veins, which differ from the converging veins of Odontotermes.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Macrotermes carbonarius found?
It lives in lowland forests below 160 m across Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: Wikipedia
When do they have their mating flights?
Mating flights occur in the late afternoon around dusk and last only a few minutes.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Termitidae)
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Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrotermes_carbonarius
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.