Comparative Nesting Habits and Colony Composition of Three Arboreal Termites (Isoptera: Termitidae) in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
Date
2010
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Abstract
In a survey of arboreal termites in different habitats in Trinidad and Tobago,
West Indies, three species predominated: Microcerotermes arboreus, Nasutitermes
corniger and N. ephratae. M. arboreus accounted for most colonies in a
pine plantation, while N. corniger predominated in farmland and mangrove.
The two species had roughly equal proportions, overall, at several broadleafforest
sites. A fourth species, either Termes hispaniolae or T. fatalis, appeared
only in broadleaf forest.
Each of the three common species shows wide variance in nest height
within habitats. The overall pattern is consistent with much greater withinspecies
variation among habitats than among species in the same habitat. In
no habitat is there a clear height differentiation among species.
Analysis of colonies shows the expected similarity in the two species of
nasute-termites. Both showed a mean soldier fraction of 17% among adults,
while in M. arboreus only 3% of adults were soldiers. Features of nest structure
may be related to this difference