**Desert Termites** is a term typically used to refer to species of termites, such as *Gnathamitermes perplexus* and species in the genus *Amitermes*, that are uniquely adapted to the harsh, arid environments of the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Unlike subterranean termites that require constant contact with moist soil, these species often forage above ground and are critical decomposers of dried grasses and plant debris in desert ecosystems. They are structurally less damaging to homes than subterranean termites, but their above-ground shelter tubes can be highly visible and unsightly.
Taxonomy and Classification
Desert Termites belong to the order Blattodea (along with cockroaches) and the family Termitidae (the higher termites). They are eusocial insects, living in large, organized colonies with castes (workers, soldiers, reproductives). They are classified as **subterranean** or **desert-adapted termites**. They are distinguished from other termites by their primary diet of surface-lying dry grasses and mulch rather than structural wood.
Physical Description
As with all termites, Desert Termites have three primary castes:
- **Workers:** Small (3–5 mm), creamy white, blind, and wingless. They forage for food and maintain the colony.
- **Soldiers:** Workers with disproportionately large, dark heads and powerful mandibles for defense. In the *Gnathamitermes* genus, soldiers are known to produce a sticky defensive secretion.
- **Alates (Swarmers):** The winged reproductives. They are dark brown to black and emerge after seasonal rains to fly, mate, and start new colonies.
A key sign of their presence is the construction of **carton foraging tubes** (mud tubes) that extend over the ground or low-lying plants.
Distribution and Habitat
Desert Termites are concentrated in arid and semi-arid regions, including the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Mojave deserts. Their colonies are established in the soil, often deep underground. Their unique adaptation allows them to forage for food on the soil surface, constructing elaborate, sheet-like mud tunnels or blankets over the grass and plant debris they are consuming to protect themselves from predators and the dry air.
Behavior and Life Cycle
Colonies are perennial. Desert termites forage primarily on dry surface materials. The **swarming** (reproduction) occurs after major rainfall events, when alates leave the colony to mate and establish new colonies.
Their most defining and noticeable behavior is the construction of their distinctive **sheet tubes**. These tubes, made of carton (feces and soil), may cover large areas of desert floor, dead plants, or the base of fence posts. These tubes allow them to exploit surface food sources while maintaining the high humidity required for survival.
Feeding and Conflict
Desert termites are crucial **decomposers** of grass and cellulose in the desert. They help recycle nutrients that would otherwise break down very slowly in the dry climate.
- **Damage/Conflict:** They primarily feed on dead grass, mulch, and dried weeds. They can consume low-lying wood components (fence posts, landscape timbers, dead shrubs). Unlike subterranean termites, they rarely cause severe structural damage to homes unless there is excessive moisture, or if structural wood is in direct contact with the soil. Their unsightly mud-sheeting on curbs, sidewalks, and low walls is the main nuisance.
Management and Prevention
Control focuses on cultural methods and exclusion.
- **Remove Food Sources:** Eliminate all wood-to-ground contact. Remove dead grass, mulch, and plant debris from a 12-inch wide band immediately adjacent to the foundation.
- **Moisture Control:** Ensure excellent drainage and quickly repair any leaks that introduce excessive moisture near the foundation, as this is the primary attraction for the termites to structural wood.
- **Tube Removal:** The large mud tubes on non-structural surfaces can be removed with a brush, but this will not eliminate the colony.
- **Chemical Control:** If severe infestation of structural wood occurs, treatment with a termiticide barrier or bait system, similar to that used for traditional subterranean termites, may be necessary.
Conservation and Research
Desert Termites are ecologically beneficial. Research focuses on their ability to survive extreme temperatures and aridity, and their profound role in breaking down cellulose and cycling carbon in desert environments.