[3] Most known species forage in the open and collect either leaf or grass litter which is stored in subterranean chambers for later consumption.

The nests are primarily subterranean with epigeal mound structures built from loose dirt of varying compactness.

[4] Large species such as Syntermes aculeosus are eaten in some indigenous cultures; for example in the Makiritare in the Alto Orinoco province of Venezuela, where they fish the soldiers out via a stick.

[5] A few species are known to cause some damage to cultivated plants like young Eucalyptus, peanuts, sugarcane and yams.

The pronotum is mostly the same width as the head although sometimes a bit larger or narrower and mostly flat, and the fontanelle is often circular and large.