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The world’s two most destructive termite species are crossbreeding, and the hybrid termites are showing up in South Florida, according to scientists at the University of Florida.
A new study from UF Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) confirms that hybrid termite colonies are thriving in South Florida raising concerns about their potential spread and threat of structural damage.
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, and documents how the invasive Formosan subterranean termites and Asian subterranean termites are not only coexisting in Fort Lauderdale and Miami but are also breeding with each other.
According to the study, "There is evidence of the ongoing spread and hybridization of two invasive Coptotermes pest species in at least two distinct locations in the world: Taiwan and Florida. During the 2022−2024 alate monitoring program in Florida, 0.13% of all collected individuals were identified as F1 hybrids, compared with the ≈4% of hybrid alates from the Taiwan surveys (≈28-fold of the proportion of hybrid individuals from alates collected). This provides support for the hypothesis that the hybridization process in Taiwan has been ongoing for a longer period of time than the more recent hybridization events in Florida."
The study also concludes that "the ongoing human-mediated spread of C. formosanus and C. gestroi is not only irreversible but is also expected to further accelerate as invasive Coptotermes populations now serve as bridgeheads for further spread."
Dr.Thomas Chouvenc who authored the study says the two species are breeding and spreading around the state by hitching rides on leisure boats and their new DNA may allow it to survive in adverse conditions elsewhere around the country.