Teak termite

The Teak termite (lat. Kalotermes tectonia) is a destructive wood-feeding pest belonging to the order Isoptera and the family Kalotermitidae. As a member of the drywood termite group, it does not require contact with the soil to survive, allowing it to complete its entire life cycle within the host plant.

The primary host for this species is teak (Tectona grandis). The pest affects both standing timber on plantations and harvested wood products. Its ability to thrive in dry wood makes it a significant threat to the forestry industry, causing substantial economic losses by degrading the quality and market value of high-grade timber.

The biological development of this species is characterized by the formation of complex, interconnected gallery systems within the wood. The colony structure is eusocial, consisting of nymphs, soldiers, and reproductives. New colonies are initiated by swarming alates that locate cracks or damaged bark on the tree to penetrate and establish a nest deep within the heartwood.

The damage caused by Kalotermes tectonia is often insidious because the outer surface of the wood remains intact for a long period. Internally, the termites consume the wood fibers, creating extensive hollows packed with hexagonal fecal pellets. This structural degradation severely limits the usability of the wood for construction or furniture production and weakens the tree's resistance to environmental stress.

Management and control strategies involve a combination of preventive and curative practices:

• Implementing silvicultural hygiene by removing infested trees from the forest stand.
• Monitoring the flight patterns of reproductives to time protective treatments.
• Utilizing biological control agents, specifically entomopathogenic fungi, to target the termite galleries.
• Applying borate-based wood preservatives to lumber to inhibit colony establishment and expansion.