The short answer
- Where: parts of southeast Florida, specifically Broward County, where both parent species overlap. Hybrids account for less than 1% of termite swarmers there.[2]
- Not a 'super termite': UF/IFAS researchers say hybrids behave like Formosan and Asian subterranean termites and do not cause more damage.[2]
- Treatment is the same: the professional products used for termite control are expected to work on hybrid colonies as well as on either parent species.[2]
- You cannot tell a hybrid colony apart without molecular testing.[2]
What a hybrid termite is
The Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus) and the Asian subterranean termite (Coptotermes gestroi) are both invasive in Florida. Where their ranges and swarm seasons overlap, males of one species court females of the other.[7][3]
Females of both species use the same sex pheromone, and Asian termite males prefer Formosan females because they produce more of it. That confusion during simultaneous swarms is how hybrid pairs form.[7]
In Florida, these pairings have produced first-generation (F1) hybrid colonies in the field that have matured and produced their own winged swarmers.[3]
How hybrids compare with the parent species
- Colony growth: in four-year-old laboratory colonies, both hybrid types grew about as large as Formosan colonies, not larger.[4]
- Wood eaten: four-year-old colonies of both parent species and both hybrid types ate wood at similar rates, meaning similar damage potential.[4]
- Molting: workers in hybrid colonies are slower to molt, a sign of hybrid incompatibility; a 2025 study found molting-related genes under-expressed in hybrids.[5]
- Hybrid colonies did produce multiple secondary reproductives even with the original king and queen present, which may help them establish.[4]
Hybrids elsewhere
Field hybrids were also found in Taiwan: in a three-year survey, 4.4% of 27,601 swarmers collected were hybrids, and most of those were female.[6]
The Florida finding is independent of Taiwan's, showing the two species can hybridize wherever their ranges overlap.[3]
Could they spread?
The researchers note that the Florida hybrid colonies are close to the large leisure-boat industry, so Florida populations of both species and their hybrids could act as a source for spread beyond their current range.[3]
Laboratory crosses showed that F1 hybrid females can start viable colonies with males of either parent species.[3]
What to do if you live in South Florida
- Don't panic: UF/IFAS says control recommendations are the same as for Formosan and Asian subterranean termites.[2]
- If you want to know which species you have, send a sample to the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (termiteidservices@ifas.ufl.edu).[2]
- If you hire a company, check that its technicians hold a current license in the right category; your state pesticide agency can confirm it.[1]
Common questions
- Were hybrid termites first found in New Orleans?
- No. The field hybrids described by UF/IFAS are in southeast Florida (Broward County). Separate field hybrids have been documented in Taiwan.[2][6]
- Do hybrid termites eat wood faster?
- In the laboratory study, four-year-old hybrid colonies ate wood at rates similar to both parent species.[4]
Sources
- National Pesticide Information Center, “Selecting a Pest Control Company.” www.npic.orst.edu/pest/selectpco.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of Florida IFAS, “Here's what homeowners need to know about hybrid termites in Florida (June 8, 2026).” blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2026/06/08/heres-what-homeowners-need-to-know-about-hybrid-termites-in-florida/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Chouvenc T. et al., via PubMed, “Ongoing human-mediated spread and hybridization of two major invasive termite species. Proc. R. Soc. B 292: 20250413 (2025).” doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.0413 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Patel J.S. et al., via PubMed, “Equivalent colony growth of hybrids of two invasive Coptotermes species can threaten urban areas. J. Econ. Entomol. 116: 538-545 (2023).” doi.org/10.1093/jee/toad020 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Kim K.S. et al., via PubMed, “Transgressive gene expression disrupts the molting process in hybrids of two invasive termites. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 184: 104383 (2025).” doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104383 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Chen G.-Y. et al., via PubMed, “Hybrids of two destructive subterranean termites established in the field. Heredity 132: 257-266 (2024).” doi.org/10.1038/s41437-024-00679-0 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Chouvenc T. et al., via PubMed, “Courtship behavior confusion in two subterranean termite species that evolved in allopatry. J. Chem. Ecol. 46: 461-474 (2020).” doi.org/10.1007/s10886-020-01178-2 (accessed 2026-10-06)