Two of the world’s most destructive invasive termites are spreading in the United States, but not only that – they’re also hybridizing. Individually, the Formosan subterranean termite and the Asian subterranean termite are capable of wreaking environmental and structural havoc, but together? A potentially disastrous storm could be brewing.
In a new study, researchers from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have confirmed that the two species are interbreeding and producing viable offspring in South Florida. The resulting hybrids could potentially cause even more damage than their parents – and that’s saying something.
“Having the two of the most destructive termite species in the world hybridizing here in Florida is a real concern and it is unknown if in the long term it will be a major economic problem that would be compounded to the one already caused by both species,” Thomas Chouvenc, lead author of the study, said in a statement.
Crossbreeding between the two species had been suspected for several years due to their close range, and so UF/IFAS scientists have long been monitoring termite activity in neighborhoods where they overlap. Initial lab studies suggested that hybrid colonies could form, but whether they could produce fertile offspring was another matter.
“Unfortunately, termite colonies are very cryptic and trying to find hybrid colonies in the field is like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Chouvenc. “We monitored termite activity closely for more than a decade to check for the establishment of hybrid colonies in some of the neighborhoods affected by the two termite species.”
“All initial observations raised doubt that hybrid colonies could thrive and produce fertile offspring, as quarantined lab colonies first appeared to be sterile mules,” he added.
However, in 2021, Chouvenc and colleagues stumbled upon some curious termites in Fort Lauderdale, which didn’t quite look like either species. Genetic testing confirmed that these anomalous insects were hybrids, half their genetic makeup coming from Formosan subterranean termites and half from Asian subterranean termites.
“At first, I could not believe it, as I was hoping to never find it,” Chouvenc said. “Since then, we have confirmed the presence of hybrid swarms every year since 2021, including in April 2025.”
It took until October last year, when they discovered an infested tree in a city park in Fort Lauderdale, for the team to pinpoint the precise location of the hybrid colonies. According to Chouvenc, it was most likely active for at least five years before being detected, and “there are most likely many hundreds more out there that have already established, throughout urban south Florida.”
But these invaders could pose a threat much further afield, the researchers fear. Fort Lauderdale is a prime candidate for insect invasion, due to its status as the “yacht capital of the world”, and its prolific boating industry could help the spread.
The phenomenon has also recently been reported in Taiwan, where both the offending termite species have long been established.
“This may be a Florida story now, but it likely won’t stay just in Florida. Give it time,” Chouvenc warned.
The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
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