Termites Are Actually Specialized Cockroaches

Despite being called white ants, termites are not ants at all. They are actually a specialized type of social cockroach that evolved to eat wood, making them genetically closer to roaches than roaches are to each other.

You might find it hard to believe, but your house is being chewed on by social roaches. While they look like pale, soft ants, their DNA tells a different story of evolution. These insects developed complex societies and the ability to digest cellulose over millions of years. It turns out that a termite is essentially a highly modified cockroach living in a colony.