Nevada Dampwood Termite

Nevada Dampwood Termite

Zootermopsis nevadensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

9 Verified sightings at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks From 2019 to 2026
27 In all 3 parks
November Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Nevada Dampwood Termite

Zootermopsis nevadensis, the Nevada termite or Nevada dampwood termite, is a eusocial species of termite (Isoptera) in the family Archotermopsidae, a group known as the dampwood termites. It is a hemimetabolous organism.

It is the genome of Zootermopsis nevadensis nuttingi that has been sequenced. The Nevada termite lives in central and central-east California, and in central-west Nevada. The Nevada termite lives in deserts, grasslands, prairies, and rural areas. The Nevada termite is preyed on by passerine birds, shrews, spiders, lizards, salamanders, frogs, and toads. The main objective of sequencing Zootermopsis nevadensis genome was to find molecular traces of eusociality. The authors compared the whole sequenced and assembled genome and 25 transcriptomes from different development states and castes with the already sequenced genomes of eusocial Hymenoptera and ants.

This termite only has two opsin genes copies, the smallest number of opsin genes known among the insects, as a result of living in the dark for tens... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Nevada Dampwood Termite in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Nevada Dampwood Termite sighting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 84th most-seen of the 161 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.

When is the best time to see a Nevada Dampwood Termite in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks?

November

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Nevada Dampwood Termite in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on a given day, against under 5% in August–October and December–April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Nevada Dampwood Termite?

Between 5 and 8 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Nevada Dampwood Termite sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks the best place to see a Nevada Dampwood Termite?

Yes

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Nevada Dampwood Termite sightings, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Canada, about 10%) and Yosemite National Park (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Nevada Dampwood Termite sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Nevada Dampwood Termite is recorded against all the insects logged in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (9 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.

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