Gut microbiota of economically important termites: functional convergence, harmfulness and precision control

As typical social insects and key decomposers in ecosystems, termites, like other insects, harbor a complex array of microbial communities with diverse functions in their gut. These microorganisms are not only closely related to key survival aspects of termites, including nutritional acquisition, metabolic adaptation and colony resilience, but also play crucial roles in their ecological adaptability. This demonstrates that termite survival strategies are highly dependent on the synergistic interactions within their gut microbiota. Notably, some termites, such as Coptotermes formosanus, exhibit both decomposition ability and damaging capacity. Whether their gut microbiota is closely related to their destructive potential has become one of the core issues of concern to researchers. Moreover, with the rapid development of metagenomics and bioinformatics technologies in recent years, an increasing number of termite gut microbiota functions have been predicted and validated, making it possible to analyze their destructive capacity from a microbial perspective. Therefore, based on a systematic synthesis of the functional commonalities and mechanistic roles of gut microbiota in economically significant termite species, this review further highlights evidence linking microbial functions with termite damaging capacity and discusses microbiota-based strategies for precision control of pest termites. It aims to provide comprehensive references and a solid theoretical foundation for in-depth research and rational utilization of termite gut microbiota, as well as scientifically grounded and targeted management of destructive termite pests. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.