A day or two ago I was surfing on Wikipedia interested in termites
as pests, and wondering if there was a type species of termite.

I could not find much but Wikipedia said there were a lot of species
of termite and it gave examples of some wood roaches in Northern
Australia as animals tending to demonstrate that roaches and termites
are related.

But it also gave the idea that termites were very common in the tropics.

I am not sure if I have ever seen a termite before and noticed that is
what it was.

Basic questions. Are termites much more common in the tropics than
in the temperate zones? Yes or no? If the answer is yes, than why
are they more common in the tropics? Is there some reason why termites
can not be cold adapted for temperate forests? How far toward the
arctic or antarctic is the range of some species of termites? Was
the Wikipedia article tending to exaggerate when it gave the idea
that termites were very common in the tropics? Do termites tend to
only go for fallen logs and not tend to attack growing trees or
grass or young plants? Are they really about as common in the
temperate zones or am I missing something when it comes to termites
in tropical areas versus temperate areas?

On 3/21/24 3:55 PM, trolidous wrote:
> A day or two ago I was surfing on Wikipedia interested in termites
> as pests, and wondering if there was a type species of termite.

Orders, as far as I know, don't have type species. Genera do. And I
suppose if you name an order after a genus, as is common but hardly
universal, it would be poor taste to transfer that genus to a different
order.

> I could not find much but Wikipedia said there were a lot of species
> of termite and it gave examples of some wood roaches in Northern
> Australia as animals tending to demonstrate that roaches and termites
> are related.
>
> But it also gave the idea that termites were very common in the tropics.
>
> I am not sure if I have ever seen a termite before and noticed that is
> what it was.
>
> Basic questions.  Are termites much more common in the tropics than
> in the temperate zones?  Yes or no?

Yes. And they're certainly more conspicuous because of the huge
structures they build.

> If the answer is yes, than why
> are they more common in the tropics?

Well, most organisms are more common in the tropics, right?

> Is there some reason why termites
> can not be cold adapted for temperate forests?

No. There are termites in temperate forests.

> How far toward the
> arctic or antarctic is the range of some species of termites?

I discover that there are termites in British Columbia but not in
Alaska. How's that?

> Was
> the Wikipedia article tending to exaggerate when it gave the idea
> that termites were very common in the tropics?

No.

> Do termites tend to
> only go for fallen logs and not tend to attack growing trees or
> grass or young plants?

True. Dead wood almost exclusively.

> Are they really about as common in the
> temperate zones or am I missing something when it comes to termites
> in tropical areas versus temperate areas?

I think you're missing something. Not quite sure what.

On 3/21/24 22:26, John Harshman wrote:
> On 3/21/24 3:55 PM, trolidous wrote:
>> A day or two ago I was surfing on Wikipedia interested in termites
>> as pests, and wondering if there was a type species of termite.
>> ...

> ...

>> Is there some reason why termites
>> can not be cold adapted for temperate forests?
>
> No. There are termites in temperate forests.
>
>> How far toward the
>> arctic or antarctic is the range of some species of termites?
>
> I discover that there are termites in British Columbia but not in
> Alaska. How's that?
>
>>  Was
>> the Wikipedia article tending to exaggerate when it gave the idea
>> that termites were very common in the tropics?
>
> No.
>
>>  Do termites tend to
>> only go for fallen logs and not tend to attack growing trees or
>> grass or young plants?
>
> True. Dead wood almost exclusively.
>
>> Are they really about as common in the
>> temperate zones or am I missing something when it comes to termites
>> in tropical areas versus temperate areas?
>
> I think you're missing something. Not quite sure what.

So both termites and elephants are the natural enemies if
lumber companies because they both eat trees, but elephants
are different because they can be trained to move and stack
logs?

Maybe not.