Termites
live in organized societies where individuals are morphologically differentiated
into distinct forms that perform different tasks for the colony. The mouthparts
are of the chewing type. Winged forms of Isoptera have four equal sized membranous
wings. Soldiers or winged forms are usually necessary for further identification.
The wing venation, presence or absence of ocelli and presence or absence of
the fontanelle (a small, depressed spot on the front of the head between the
eyes) are generally used to distinguish families. The differences of head shape
and characteristics of the jaws of soldiers are also important.
This
group is relatively small. There are 41 species reported in North America.
