Nasutitermes exitiosus: the southern snouted white ant
A mound builder with a snout instead of jaws. Here is what the name tells you and what it leaves to the inspector.
What Nasutitermes exitiosus is
Nasutitermes exitiosus is a white ant of southern Australia. It belongs to the genus Nasutitermes, whose soldiers have a pointed snout in place of biting jaws. People often call it the snouted termite for that reason.
It is a species you read about, not one you name in your own yard. Telling it from its relatives takes soldiers under magnification.
Where it lives and what it builds
This species lives in the cooler south, in woodland, paddocks and suburban gardens. It builds its nest in or under the ground, often around a stump or the base of a tree. Many nests show as a low, rough mound of soil and chewed wood.
Here is the catch. A visible mound is the easy case. A nest can also sit out of sight under a slab, in a stump or inside a hollow tree. Do not assume that no mound means no colony.
| What you might notice | What it can mean | What it cannot tell you |
|---|---|---|
| A low mound near a stump or tree | A colony nests on the property | Whether it feeds on the house |
| Soldiers with dark pointed heads | Snouted termites (genus Nasutitermes) | The species, or the extent of damage |
| Mud tubes on a pier or wall | Termites are travelling to timber | Which colony or species made them |
| Hollow-sounding timber | Wood eaten from the inside | Whether the colony is active now |
Why the name does not change your next step
Say an inspector names this species. What changes for you? Very little. You still find the activity, find how the termites got in, and have a licensed technician manage it.
That is why this page is about understanding, not diagnosis. We do not identify termites from photos or descriptions. A wrong species can change the treatment.
How it gets to a house
Workers travel through the soil and build covered tubes over anything in their way. They reach timber through ground contact, slab edges and gaps around service pipes. Damp, poorly ventilated subfloors help them. Our guide to moisture, subfloors and ventilation covers what to fix.
Old stumps, buried timber and garden beds banked against the wall all give a colony food and shelter near the building. None of that is unusual.
What not to do if you find activity
- Do not break the mud tubes or open the nest. The colony shifts its feeding route and the damage carries on where nobody is looking. The inspector also reads that evidence.
- Do not spray. A supermarket insecticide reaches a few workers, not the colony, and can push it to feed somewhere hidden.
- Do not try to treat it yourself. Termiticides are registered by the APVMA and applied by a licensed pest management technician.
What to do instead
Book a timber pest inspection to AS 4349.3 with a licensed inspector. Leave anything you found exactly as it is. Ask what they found, where, and how they know it is active. Then let the licensed technician manage it.
Frequently asked questions
What does Nasutitermes exitiosus look like?
The soldiers have dark, pointed, pear-shaped heads with a snout instead of jaws. That marks the genus, but naming the species still needs magnification and an inspector.
Is it a white ant?
Yes. White ant is the everyday Australian name for termites, and this species is one of them.
Can I tell if I have it?
Not reliably. One property can hold more than one species, and the mark on the soldier only points to the genus.
Should I knock down a mound I find?
No. Disturbing a colony scatters it and can send it to feed somewhere hidden. Leave it and book a licensed inspection.
Sources
What this page explains is based on these official sources. If you check one and it does not match what you read here, send it to us and the article gets corrected.
- Department of Health, Victoria. Pest control, termites
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission. Protect against termites: termite management systems and inspections
- Standards Australia. Australian Standards (AS 3660 termite management, AS 4349.3 timber pest inspection)