Nasutitermes exitiosus

Snouted termite, Gluegun termite at Isaacs, ACT

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Identification history

	Nasutitermes exitiosus	27 Apr 2025	DonFletcher
	Unverified	26 Apr 2025	Mike

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2 comments

DonFletcher wrote:

27 Apr 2025

Hi @Mike, There are two species of mound building termites in the ACT. In the higher, colder parts of the ACT, Coptotermes lacteus, the Milk Termite, builds a very hard, strong mound. Some of these mounds can also be seen on Black Mt, and, more rarely, other lowland sites. In the lower, warmer areas of the ACT (below about 850m) the vast majority of mounds are of Nasutitermes exitiosus, which is in the Gluegun Termite genus. These mounds are softer so that if you kick one it will leave a visible mark or even a depression. There are other distinguishing features as well but hardness is the best.

The soldier termites are also easy to distinguish. Coptotermes soldiers have clearly visible jaws. Nasutitermes soldiers have a 'gluegun' snout, appearing to form a smooth sharp protrusion, with no visible jaws (except under magnification).

Mike wrote:

27 Apr 2025

Thanks @DonFletcher, I don’t usually report termite nests, but this stump was shared with coconut ants.

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Location information

Maps Isaacs Ridge and Nearby Isaacs Ridge
Places Isaacs, ACT

Sighting information

At least 1 Abundance
Mike Recorded by
Collections
Mike NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Latest Termites (superfamily Termitoidea) Other insects Insects

Additional information

Less than 5mm Animal size

Species information

Nasutitermes exitiosus Scientific name
Snouted termite, Gluegun termite Common name
Sensitive
Local native
Non-invasive or negligible
Machine learning

Record quality

Images or audio
More than one media file
Verified by an expert moderator
Nearby sighting(s) of same species
GPS evidence of location
Description
Additional attributes