Coptotermes elisae

C. elisae primarily attacks both young and old evergreen trees in the genus Araucaria, the klinkii (A. klinkii) and the hoop pine (A. cunninghamii), but is also known to attack other hosts such as the taun tree (Pometia pinnata), Hopea trees, the papaya (Carica papaya), and the mango (Mangifera indica)^[1] A parasitic fungus, Antennopsis gayi, is sometimes found growing on the body of C. elisiae^[5] and the rove beetle Coptophysa obesa is sometimes found living inside the termite colony.^[4]

C. elisae is considered to be an extremely severe pest. The termites enter a tree through an injury to the bark and tunnel into the interior, where they eat the wood and often cause the death of the host.^[6] In plantations of hoop pine, groups of up to 20 trees may be infected and die, attacked by termites foraging from one central nest via tunnels to neighbouring trees. Trees older than 21 years seem less prone to attack.^[3] In Malaysia, C. elisae has made the establishment of plantations of certain exotic tree species very difficult, attacking every tree in some new plantations of Pinus and Araucaria.^[2] Control may be attempted by excavating the nest and removing the queen reproductive, or in new plantations, by the use of explosives.^[3]