How can you differentiate termites from carpenter ants behaviorally and anatomically?

• A. Termites have soft bodies with straight, beaded antennae and broad waists; carpenter ants have elbowed antennae, narrow pinched waists, and produce coarse wood shavings (frass).
• B. Termites have elbowed antennae; carpenter ants have straight antennae.
• C. Termites are always larger than carpenter ants.
• D. Carpenter ants have broad waists; termites have pinched waists.

Answer: (A)

Distinguishing termites from carpenter ants relies on how they’re built and what they leave behind. Termites have a soft body that is fairly uniform in width, with straight, bead-like antennae and a broad waist (no distinct constriction between thorax and abdomen). Carpenter ants, on the other hand, show an unmistakable ant silhouette: elbowed (geniculate) antennae and a narrow, pinched waist formed by a petiole. Behaviorally, carpenter ants excavate wood to make galleries and push out coarse wood shavings, or frass, as they work. Termites also damage wood, but their signs aren’t coarse frass like carpenter ants’ and can include mud tubes or fine wood damage depending on the species.

The described combination—termites with straight, beaded antennae and broad waists; carpenter ants with elbowed antennae, narrow pinched waists, and coarse wood shavings (frass)—captures the key anatomical differences and a clear behavioral cue, making it the best choice. The other statements mix up antenna shape, waist form, or typical signs, so they don’t fit as accurately.