Reticulitermes hesperus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Reticulitermes hesperus, the western subterranean termite, is a species of termite in the family Heterotermitidae. It is found in Central America and North America. R. hesperus is native to the coast between British Columbia and Southern California. Like other subterranean termites, they live underground, where they have elaborate eusocial societies composed of a queen, workers, and soldiers, as well as a rotating case of sexually reproductive adults and their larval and immature offspring. The reproductive adults are the only ones with functional wings. The reproductive adults will swarm on warm days in spring and fall, particularly after a rain event, looking for mating partners. These termites prefer moist living environments and prefer to consume wood that has already been partially decayed by saprotrophic fungus.
A similar species, Reticulitermes tibialis, is more common in the interior of western North America. Adults and nymphs are preyed on by the larvae of the lacewing Lomamyia latipennis. The lacewing lays its eggs on stumps and rotten logs and the newly hatched larvae make their way to termite galleries via crevices. Having found a termite, the first instar... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Western Subterranean Termite sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 276th most-seen of the 737 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Western Subterranean Termite in San Francisco on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Western Subterranean Termite sightings, San Francisco has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Los Angeles (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Subterranean Termite is recorded against all the insects logged in San Francisco (36 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
