People often confuse swarming termites with flying ants. There are distinctive differences, however. In order to discern a termite from a winged ant, compare the visual biological differences:
Ants have a narrow, wasp-like waist (more "cinched" in the middle of the body). Termites do not have a defined waist. Ant wings are about equal to the body size, with the fore and hind wings of unequal length. Termites have four wings of equal length that are nearly twice as long as their bodies. Ant antennae are L-shaped, with a "bend," while termite antennae are straight.