From this, a network of galleries extends through the nearby soil, enabling the workers to forage in the surrounding area without emerging on the surface of the ground.

Subterranean passages extend from the nest up to 50 m (160 ft) and allow the workers to access other sources of wood on which to feed.

A number of other trees in the immediate vicinity can be similarly tunnelled, invasion taking place through the living bark.

This is usually a piece of rotting wood buried in moist soil or a patch of decay at the base of a tree.

The first eggs laid develop into workers and only when these are mature enough to take over the care of the young can the queen concentrate on egg-laying, the thing she will do for the rest of her life.

[3] C. acinaciformis is the most widely distributed termite in Australia and occurs throughout the country with the exception of Tasmania, parts of coastal Victoria, and a few other areas with high rainfall.