Odontotermes formosanus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Odontotermes formosanus is a species of fungus-growing termite in the family Termitidae. It is native to southeastern Asia and was first described from Taiwan (then called Formosa). This termite cultivates a symbiotic fungus in a special chamber in the nest. Workers and soldiers gather vegetable detritus which they bring back to the colony, chewing the material to a pulp to make a suitable substrate on which to grow the fungus.
Odontotermes formosanus has a widespread distribution in southeastern Asia, its range including Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and India. It is a common subterranean species and is a pest of forests, plantations and crops. It also forms nests in earthen dams, and can cause dams and dykes to collapse, as well as doing damage to the pipework.
It should not be confused with the worldwide invasive species Coptotermes formosanus. A colony of Odontotermes formosanus consists of a number of large and small chambers forming the nest, linked by a complex of galleries; the queen is housed in one large chamber, and the main fungus comb occupies another, and there are several subsidiary fungus comb chambers... Wikipedia →
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More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Winged Subterranean Termite sighting in Taichung on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 129th most-seen of the 197 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Winged Subterranean Termite in Taichung on a given day, against under 5% in August–September and November–April, the lowest months. That is one of Taichung's wettest months, with about 260 mm of rain against 40 mm in December.
Among the best
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Black-Winged Subterranean Termite sightings, Taichung ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kaohsiung (Taiwan, about 10%), Nanjing (China, about 10%) and Tainan (Taiwan, about 10%).
Same order: Blattodea
The closest relatives of the Black-Winged Subterranean Termite that you can see in Taichung (order Blattodea, Cockroaches and Termites) are American Cockroach (about 10%), Brown-Banded Cockroach (about 10%) and Surinam Cockroach (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-Winged Subterranean Termite is recorded against all the insects logged in Taichung (8 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.
