Termite size, represented by their head width, has been comprehensively measured by taxonomists over the course of the last hundred years. In the past, when researchers catalogued a termite individual, they measured the head width as it is a stable measurement that, unlike body weight, is not affected by sample preservation methods.

 

"Our analysis revealed that there's a huge variation between species," concluded Dr. Mizumoto. "And this includes a lot of fluctuation. Some species are seeing a size reduction, whereas others are actually getting larger. It depends on the lineage.