The differences are easily detected by three points of identification: the waist, the wings and the antennae. Many
people don’t realize that ants can have wings when they are ready to reproduce and swarm to start a new colony of their own.

A magnifying glass, hand lens or a microscope will clearly show the differences between ants and termites. The most prominent feature is the waistline. This can be seen with the naked eye or with a magnifying glass. Pinched waist? It is an ant. Cylindrical waist? It is a termite.

See the list below for the most common ways to identify an ant vs. a termite.

Ants	Termites
Pinched waist	Broad waist
Elbowed or bent antennae	Beaded or straight antennae
Forewings larger than hind wings	Forewings and hind wings same size

 Additional Resources 

http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/entomo/ants/Ant%20vs%20Termite.htm

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ig080

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN035