Encyclopedia termite termite or white ant, common name for a soft-bodied social insect of the order Isoptera. In addition, the antennae of termites are beadlike or threadlike, while ant antennae are elbowed.
Termites have chewing mouthparts.
They feed chiefly on wood, from which they obtain cellulose. In primitive species cellulose is converted into various sugars by specialized gut protozoans and in the more highly evolved termites by specialized bacteria living symbiotically in the termite's digestive tract. The nearly 2,000 species are mostly tropical, and some build huge mounds to house their colonies. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.