Two of the World’s Worst Termites Hooked Up in Florida—and Now We’re Screwed (gizmodo.com)
from pelespirit@sh.itjust.works to science@mander.xyz on 29 May 17:19
https://sh.itjust.works/post/38990601

In October 2024, the researchers discovered a full-blown hybrid colony in a Fort Lauderdale park, which had likely been active for more than five years before being detected. Chouvenc said that there are likely many more hundreds of colonies across South Florida that have not yet been found.

Both parent species are prolific breeders, capable of forming massive colonies and spreading rapidly. The fact that these hybrids are swarming—and potentially just as fertile—raises major red flags.

Fort Lauderdale’s status as a global boating hub may accelerate the spread. “This may be a Florida story now, but it likely won’t stay just in Florida,” Chouvenc warned. Private boats have previously been implicated in termite spread across the U.S. and internationally.

#science

threaded - newest

Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca on 29 May 17:30 next collapse

*Now we’re chewed

Ep1cFac3pa1m@lemmy.world on 29 May 18:34 next collapse

This may be a Florida story now, but it likely won’t stay just in Florida

What a perfect encapsulation of recent history

homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world on 29 May 18:46 next collapse

University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) report that the Formosan subterranean termite and the Asian subterranean termite are crossbreeding and producing viable offspring in South Florida neighborhoods.

Woops

Mihies@programming.dev on 29 May 19:18 next collapse

US needs just an executive order for termites to stop interbreeding.

Akasazh@feddit.nl on 30 May 09:37 collapse

Unfortunately vermin from Florida run the country now, I don’t think they will take action against their own.

Blackout@fedia.io on 29 May 19:18 next collapse

I saw a solution to this and many other problems on the television the other day: <img alt="The Florida issue" src="https://c.tenor.com/A2H9BNaLtuoAAAAC/tenor.gif">

protist@mander.xyz on 29 May 22:42 collapse

According to this article, they’ve already hybridized in Taiwan, too, so it might be too late, but I’m not going to stop you from dumping Florida into the Gulf of America™

DozensOfDonner@mander.xyz on 29 May 19:21 next collapse

But is this hybrid then an even faster breeder, massiver colony maker, rapidlier spreader? Or maybe we’ll get lucky and turns out they are kinda lazy

lvxferre@mander.xyz on 29 May 19:54 collapse

If the hybrid population is fertile, it has at least as much survival fitness as the “best” of the parents. But probably more because it can couple advantageous traits from both for that environment.

So, in this case, it’s better to be pessimistic: they’ll be probably fast breeders, massive colony makers and rapid spreaders, since all those traits would help them to spread further.

atro_city@fedia.io on 29 May 21:42 next collapse

They don't even say why they are the "worst termites". What makes them worse than others?

ninja@lemmy.world on 29 May 22:05 next collapse

Dude, it’s in the synopsis in the post.

Both parent species are prolific breeders, capable of forming massive colonies and spreading rapidly. The fact that these hybrids are swarming—and potentially just as fertile—raises major red flags.

atro_city@fedia.io on 30 May 08:31 collapse

There are termites like that all over the world. Have you been to Africa? There are termite mounds bigger than 3 storey houses sticking out of the ground there (no photos unfortunately but Guiness World Record entry)). Looks at these ones in Brazil. Not only are they numerous, the area they cover is the size of Britain!

The article is rubbish. There's no comparison, no more information about the type of termite what their average breeding cycle is compared to other termites, what they eat, what they are dangerous to, which climate they live in, etc. Garbage article.

protist@mander.xyz on 29 May 22:45 collapse

The actual article is linked right there on the page

BilboBargains@lemmy.world on 30 May 13:41 collapse

‘Florida termite’ could be the start of many a great news story, followed by a mugshot of the disheveled and remorseful arthropod.