Termites often impress us with their ability to build large and complex mounds. This ability, however, is typically restricted to the single family Termitidae (the so-called higher termites), while the nests of all other termite families are often very simple. The termite Coptotermes lacteus represents a rare exception, as their colonies have independently evolved the ability to build very large and complex mounds.
Fragments of this mound were collected North of Sydney, Australia. The mound was built on the side of a road. There had heavy rain the week before this specimen was sampled and the external crust was soft and humid; it could be destroyed with the bare hand. Under the crust there were thin rods apparently made of carton-like / digested material, probably indicating some termite activity.
