| Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky, 1855) |
| Synonyms (after Scheffrahn et al. 2005): Termes cornigera, Nasutitermes cornigera, Nasutitermes costalis, Nasutitermes polygynus, Termes morio, Eutermes costaricensis, Eutermes insularis, Eutermes Cayennae, Nasutitermes lividus, Eutermes haitiensis, Eutermes martiniquensis, Eutermes sanchezi |
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Nasutitermes corniger is a Neotropical speciesoccurring in Mexico, Central America, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago, and South America south to northern Argentina. It has been introduced in Florida, the Bahamas (Abaco), and New Guinea. The soldiers of this species are smaller than the workers, e.g., notice the soldiers forming a perimeter around the larger workers in the photos below. N. corniger is often considered a pest in urban and farmland areas as it may destroy human dwellings made of untreated wood, and crops. N. corniger builds arboreal carton nests, spherical or elliptical, dark-brown on the surface, with small bumps covering the entire exterior. This species also builds narrow tunnel-like paths leading away from the nest, alongside trees and house walls. The nests measure from 20 x 20 cm to 68 x 46 cm; Thorn (1981) reported a nest weighing 28 kg.
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