Compare subterranean termites and drywood termites in terms of habitat and behavior.

• A. Subterranean termites infest dry wood above ground; drywood termites live in soil and require ground contact.
• B. Subterranean termites live in soil and require moisture; drywood termites infest dry, sound wood above ground and do not require ground contact.
• C. Both species live only in above-ground wood.
• D. Drywood termites require ground contact; subterranean termites infest wood above ground.

Answer: (B)

Think about how termites get their moisture and where they tend to live. Subterranean termites stay in the soil because they need the constant moisture the ground provides; to attack above-ground wood, they rely on mud tubes or other damp pathways that connect the soil to the wood. Drywood termites, on the other hand, live entirely in dry, sound wood above ground and do not need soil contact or ground moisture to survive. They infest the wood directly, often in structures where wood is dry and unattached to the soil.

So the best description is that subterranean termites live in soil and require moisture, while drywood termites infest dry wood above ground and do not require ground contact.