Coptotermes lacteus
Milk Termite at Lower Cotter Catchment
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| Coptotermes lacteus | DonFletcher | 11 Apr 2024 | |
| Unverified | NMenzies | 11 Apr 2024 |
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User's notes
Within LCC - possible Rosenberg site?
4 comments
11 Apr 2024
Hi @NMenzies, Goannas are known to nest in the mounds of Nasutitermes exitiosus, one of the Gluegun Termites (plus arboreal termite nests are sometimes used by Tree Goannas). This is the mound of the Milk Termite Coptotermes lacteus. There are no confirmed (and hardly any unconfirmed) records of any goanna species nesting in a Coptotermes termite mound, but there have been so few people watching, it is still a slim possibility that they do. Tree Goannas dig into the mound at ground level, as do Echidnas. Rosenbergs Goannas dig in at a higher level, often about 15-40 cm below the very top. Keep looking but this digging might be by Echidnas, Humans or even Pigs perhaps if pigs dig into mounds.
11 Apr 2024
Also a goanna nesting excavation may start wide like these but then it will have a narrow part where the tunnel is only10cm wide. Did either of these excavations have that narrow tunnel going deeper into the mound?
13 Apr 2024
Hi Don, thanks for your comment. Did not know that Rosenbergs dig in at a higher point and will keep that in mind when observing future mounds! No, from memory, it was a wide opening right to the back of the excavation - no visible narrow tunnel beyond. Thanks for all the info! Can I ask - how do you tell the difference from a Nasutitermes vs a Coptotermes mound at that distance?
13 Apr 2024
Hi @NMenzies, the harder Coptotermes mounds can be steep and tall. Nasutitermes mounds are never as steep nor tall as this.
Location information
- Coordinates 148.912217-35.318275
- Altitude 593.3m
- Maps Lower Cotter Catchment Cotter Reservoir
- Places Uriarra Village, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 10 Apr 2024 12:38 PM Recorded on
- NMenzies Recorded by
- 12mm to 25mm Animal size
- Termites Associated animal
- No Insect on a flower
Collections
- NMenzies Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Coptotermes lacteus Termites (superfamily Termitoidea) Other insects Insects
Species information
- Coptotermes lacteus Scientific name
- Milk Termite Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1278m Recorded at altitude
Record quality
Quality score
5 / 7
- Images or audio
- Verified by an expert moderator
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes
- More than one media file
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species