Flying ants? Winged Ants vs. Termites
A simple guide for telling these two insects apart.
Sometimes you'll see an insect that looks like a flying ant. But is it really an ant? A lot of people are confused when it comes to identifying winged ants vs. termites.
Both termites and ants are social insects. Social insects develop different features based upon their social role. Some ants and termites that are old enough to reproduce have wings. These insects are called alates.
There are a few key things that can help you tell the difference between winged termites (termite alates) and winged ants (ant alates).
First, look at this image of a termite and a winged ant side by side:
Image credit: Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
It is easy to see how they could be confused with only a quick glance. However, if you look closely, you'll see the following differences:
| CHARCTERISTIC | WINGED ANT | TERMITE |
| Antennae | Elbowed | Beaded |
| Wings | Larger front wings, smaller hind wings | Both sets of wings the same size |
| Waist | Narrow | Broad |
Here is another view of a winged ant:
And a termite:
The three places to look when trying to tell these two insects apart is:
- Antennae
- Wings
- Waist
You don't have to take a course on entomology. Just take a close look at these three things and you will be able to correctly tell the difference between flying ants and termites.
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