About Coptotermes lacteus (Froggatt, 1898)
Australia is home to multiple species of termites that are hard to tell apart from one another. Coptotermes lacteus is most commonly confused with Coptotermes acinaciformis and Coptotermes frenchi. Soldiers of C. frenchi and C. lacteus have pear-shaped heads, while the heads of C. acinaciformis soldiers are more rectangular. C. lacteus soldiers measure 4 to 4.8 mm (0.16 to 0.19 in) long, making them slightly smaller than soldiers of the other two species. The mound nests built by C. lacteus are smaller than those of the magnetic termite Amitermes meridionalis. C. lacteus mounds have a thick, hard outer layer. Under this outer layer sits a hard mass of cemented soil particles, with a central soft, papery nursery area that houses the queen and developing nymphs.
