Coptotermes gestroi

Description

Coptotermes gestroi, the Asian subterranean termite is a small species of termite that lives underground. Both this species and the Formosan subterranean termite, (Coptotermes formosanus) are destructive pests native to Asia, but have spread to other parts of the world including the United States. In Asia, this species is known as the Philippine milk termite. The termite species Coptotermes havilandi was determined by Kirton and Brown in 2003 to be identical to Coptotermes gestroi, so following the principle of priority, the older name is now used.