Visualization and Hotspot Prediction of Termite Research Based on Bibliometrics

This study applies bibliometric methods to map the knowledge structure, thematic evolution, and emerging hotspots of termite research over the past century. Publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) from database inception to 19 June 2024 using TS=(“termites” OR “termite”), restricted to Article and Review Article. R, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace were used to analyze publication trends, influential sources, collaboration patterns, and keyword-based thematic networks. A total of 5,154 English-language records were included, with the earliest publication dating to 1926. Annual output increased markedly after 2010 and has remained at a high level. The most cited paper was Symbiotic digestion of lignocellulose in termite guts (2014). The United States, Japan, China, Brazil, and Germany were the leading contributors, and Su N. Y. showed the highest productivity and citation impact. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified 13 major clusters, highlighting themes such as termite mounds, entomopathogenic fungi, and termite gut-related research; “defense” acted as a bridging term with high betweenness centrality. Overall, termite research has shown a growing integration between control-oriented studies and biological/ecological investigations. Cross-analysis of citation bursts and trend topics suggests that colony establishment and reproduction, termite–environment interactions, and innovations in control technologies are likely to constitute future research frontiers.