Africa Wild Insect Book: Cockroaches (Order: Blattodea)
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AW Insect Book: Cockroaches & Termites - Photos & Description
Moderator: Klipspringer
Index to Cockroaches & Termites (Blattodea)
Order: Blattodea
Superfamily: Corydioidea
Family: Corydiidae
Tivia termes Desert Cockroach viewtopic.php?p=488480#p488480
Superfamily: Blaberoidea
Family: Blattellidae (73 species)
Family: Blaberidae (68 species)
Derocalymma sp. African Cockroach, Tribolite Cockroach viewtopic.php?p=215649#p215649
Superfamily: Blattoidea
Family: Blattidae (34 species)
Cartoblatter pulchra Gregarious Spotted Cockroach viewtopic.php?p=210716#p210716
Periplaneta australasiae Australian Cockroach viewtopic.php?p=192762#p192762
Infraorder: Isoptera - Termitoidae
Termites are eusocial insects that are classified at the taxonomic rank of infraorder Isoptera, or as epifamily Termitoidae within the cockroach order Blattodea.
Families:
Mastotermitidae
Termopsidae (Damp Wood Termites)
Hodotermitidae (Harvester Termites)
Hodotermes mossambicus Northern Harvester Termite viewtopic.php?p=488264#p488264
Kalotermitidae (Dry Wood Termites)
Rhinotermitidae (Subterranean Termites, Damp Wood Termites)
Termitidae (Higher Termites)
Subfamily Macrotermitinae
Odontotermes sp. viewtopic.php?p=527541#p527541
Macrotermes michaelseni Mound-building Termite viewtopic.php?p=455330#p455330
Subfamily Nasutitermitinae
Trinervitermes trinervoides Snouted Harvester Termite viewtopic.php?p=488263#p488263
Re: AW Insect Book: Cockroaches - Photos & Description
Blattodea (Cockroaches)
Cockroaches could be confused with members of the order Orthoptera (crickets and grasshoppers) but they do not have well-developed hindlegs for jumping. Most cockroaches, such as the American Cockroach, lay their eggs in a brown oblong case called an ootheca and in many species these are carried around by the female for some time before being deposited on the ground. The Cape Mountain Cockroach has an interesting biology in that the eggs mature and hatch inside the female so that she 'gives birth' to young. In this species the male is winged and the female wingless (hence the generic name meaning 'without wings'). Cockroaches are mainly nocturnal and by day hide in dark places such as under rocks, dead wood and bark. They are mainly scavengers, feeding on dead organic matter such as plant matter.
Origins
Fossil cockroaches have been recorded in deposits dated to as far back as the Upper Carboniferous, about 305 million years ago. During the Carboniferous they were one of the most abundant of the insect orders in terms of number of individuals. Apterygote insect orders Collembola and Archaeognatha were already present as were aquatic orders such as Odonata (dragonflies) and Ephemeroptera (Mayflies). There were also a number of insect orders present that are now extinct. The Orthoptera (crickets, etc) also go back to the Carboniferous but the largest present day insect orders such as Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (flies), Hemiptera (bugs) and Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) had not yet evolved.
General life cycle
Adults. Depending on species, adult cockroaches can range in size from 3 mm to at least 65 mm long. Cockroaches are flattened in appearance which enables them to crawl into narrow crevices. In some species males and females look superficially similar but in others the adult females are winged and the adult males wingless.
Eggs. Eggs are usually laid in a packet called an ootheca. The ootheca is formed in the female and as it exits it is stamped into shape by the ovipositor valves (rather like a snackwich maker gives toasted bread those troughs and ridges), and hardens on being exposed to air. The shape of the ootheca is often species specific. The female carries the ootheca round on the end of her abdomen for varying lengths of time before dropping it on the ground or glueing it to something. After depositing it, females of some species cover the ootheca with debris so that it is difficult for it to be located by predators and parasitoids. In some species females carry around the ootheca for the entire embryonic development. Although the majority of cockroach species are oviparous in that they lay their eggs externally (in oothecae), there are some in which egg development is internal. Internal egg development can be divided into three main categories.
False ovoviviparity. The ootheca is produced inside the female but instead of being laid, it is retained in a uterus or brood sac where the eggs develop. This is the main form of reproduction in the family Blaberidae but has also been recorded rarely in the Blatellidae.
True ovoviviparity. This form of reproduction is different from false ovoviviparity in that an ootheca is not formed. Instead, eggs pass from the oviducts into the uterus where they lie in no particular order and undergo embryonic development.
Viviparity. Viviparity is only known in the genus Diploptera. The eggs are small and have insufficient water and yolk to complete development. They are kept inside the uterus within an incomplete oothecal membrane and their embryos absorb water and disolved proteins and carbohydrates that are produced by the uterus.
Nymphs. Being hemimetabolous, the nymphs are similar in general shape to the adults but are smaller, lack wings and genitalia are undeveloped. They hatch more-or-less simultaneously from the ootheca by swallowing air and inflating themselves, in this way splitting open the two halves. They pass through a series of moults before reaching the adult stage.
Natural enemies
Evaniid wasps parasitise oothecae.
Beetles in the subfamily Rhipidiinae of the family Rhipiphoridae parasitise cockroach nymphs.
Predators of cockroaches are many ranging from invertebrates such as ants through to vertebrates such insectivorous frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals. Cockroaches protect themselves from predators mainly by hiding away, but produce defensive secretions if attacked. These secretions can also render them distasteful.
Internal parasites include amoebae, ciliates, nematodes and Nematomorpha.
The vast majority of cockroach species (more than 99% of them) live in the wild. However, there are a few species that thrive in and around human habitations. They are pests because they destroy food and contaminate it with their smelly excreta. They can also eat book labels and bindings. The most common pest cockroach in South Africa is the American Cockroach Periplaneta americana. The smaller German Cockroach Blattella germanica can also be encountered indoors, and on the subtropical coast (e.g. in Durban) one can encounter the large Indian Cockroach Blatta orientalis.
Cockroaches could be confused with members of the order Orthoptera (crickets and grasshoppers) but they do not have well-developed hindlegs for jumping. Most cockroaches, such as the American Cockroach, lay their eggs in a brown oblong case called an ootheca and in many species these are carried around by the female for some time before being deposited on the ground. The Cape Mountain Cockroach has an interesting biology in that the eggs mature and hatch inside the female so that she 'gives birth' to young. In this species the male is winged and the female wingless (hence the generic name meaning 'without wings'). Cockroaches are mainly nocturnal and by day hide in dark places such as under rocks, dead wood and bark. They are mainly scavengers, feeding on dead organic matter such as plant matter.
Origins
Fossil cockroaches have been recorded in deposits dated to as far back as the Upper Carboniferous, about 305 million years ago. During the Carboniferous they were one of the most abundant of the insect orders in terms of number of individuals. Apterygote insect orders Collembola and Archaeognatha were already present as were aquatic orders such as Odonata (dragonflies) and Ephemeroptera (Mayflies). There were also a number of insect orders present that are now extinct. The Orthoptera (crickets, etc) also go back to the Carboniferous but the largest present day insect orders such as Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (flies), Hemiptera (bugs) and Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) had not yet evolved.
General life cycle
Adults. Depending on species, adult cockroaches can range in size from 3 mm to at least 65 mm long. Cockroaches are flattened in appearance which enables them to crawl into narrow crevices. In some species males and females look superficially similar but in others the adult females are winged and the adult males wingless.
Eggs. Eggs are usually laid in a packet called an ootheca. The ootheca is formed in the female and as it exits it is stamped into shape by the ovipositor valves (rather like a snackwich maker gives toasted bread those troughs and ridges), and hardens on being exposed to air. The shape of the ootheca is often species specific. The female carries the ootheca round on the end of her abdomen for varying lengths of time before dropping it on the ground or glueing it to something. After depositing it, females of some species cover the ootheca with debris so that it is difficult for it to be located by predators and parasitoids. In some species females carry around the ootheca for the entire embryonic development. Although the majority of cockroach species are oviparous in that they lay their eggs externally (in oothecae), there are some in which egg development is internal. Internal egg development can be divided into three main categories.
False ovoviviparity. The ootheca is produced inside the female but instead of being laid, it is retained in a uterus or brood sac where the eggs develop. This is the main form of reproduction in the family Blaberidae but has also been recorded rarely in the Blatellidae.
True ovoviviparity. This form of reproduction is different from false ovoviviparity in that an ootheca is not formed. Instead, eggs pass from the oviducts into the uterus where they lie in no particular order and undergo embryonic development.
Viviparity. Viviparity is only known in the genus Diploptera. The eggs are small and have insufficient water and yolk to complete development. They are kept inside the uterus within an incomplete oothecal membrane and their embryos absorb water and disolved proteins and carbohydrates that are produced by the uterus.
Nymphs. Being hemimetabolous, the nymphs are similar in general shape to the adults but are smaller, lack wings and genitalia are undeveloped. They hatch more-or-less simultaneously from the ootheca by swallowing air and inflating themselves, in this way splitting open the two halves. They pass through a series of moults before reaching the adult stage.
Natural enemies
Evaniid wasps parasitise oothecae.
Beetles in the subfamily Rhipidiinae of the family Rhipiphoridae parasitise cockroach nymphs.
Predators of cockroaches are many ranging from invertebrates such as ants through to vertebrates such insectivorous frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals. Cockroaches protect themselves from predators mainly by hiding away, but produce defensive secretions if attacked. These secretions can also render them distasteful.
Internal parasites include amoebae, ciliates, nematodes and Nematomorpha.
The vast majority of cockroach species (more than 99% of them) live in the wild. However, there are a few species that thrive in and around human habitations. They are pests because they destroy food and contaminate it with their smelly excreta. They can also eat book labels and bindings. The most common pest cockroach in South Africa is the American Cockroach Periplaneta americana. The smaller German Cockroach Blattella germanica can also be encountered indoors, and on the subtropical coast (e.g. in Durban) one can encounter the large Indian Cockroach Blatta orientalis.
Re: AW Insect Book: Cockroaches - Photos & Description
Australian Cockroach Periplaneta australasiae
Family: Blattidae
© Dewi
KwaZulu-Natal
The cockroaches of the family Blattidae carry the ootheca (egg cases) upright and without turning after it is formed.
These species are characterized by having spines on the anterior margin of the front femur. The mid and hind femora have spines on the anterior and posterior margins. Sternum 7 of the female is large, its posterior edge is modified to form two lobes or valves, these lobes are partly separated from the remainder of the sternum by a transverse suture. Tergum 10 of both sexes is rectangular, rounded or triangular, the cerci (two pointed spines, near the posterior end) are often flattened and short.
On those cerci are hairs that are sensitive to air currents. The cockroach can detect such currents and react to them in a split second. By having two cerci (bilateral symmetry) the animal can detect which direction the air currents are coming from. A cockroach’s nervous system works such that when it senses an air current, it runs.
Description
The Australian cockroach is a common species of tropical cockroach, with a length of 23–35 mm. The body is brown in colour. The pronotum (head shield) has a sharply contrasting pale or yellow margin and a dark brown interior. Adults of both sexes are fully winged. Wings extend to or beyond the abdomen. They are poor to moderately good fliers. Tegmina have a conspicuous lateral pale stripe or margin. Males have cerci and styli between the cerci, females lack styli.
Similar species: It is very similar in appearance to the American cockroach and may be easily mistaken for it. It is however, slightly smaller than the American cockroach, has a yellow margin on the thorax and yellow streaks at its sides near the wing base. The Australian Cockroach has a distinct pale pattern on the pronotum (unlike P. americana, which has a washed-out pale pattern).
Distribution
Despite its name, the Australian cockroach is a cosmopolitan species, and an introduced species in Australia. It can be found in many locations throughout the world.
Habitat
It prefers moist habitats and is not cold tolerant. It often lives around the perimeter of buildings and may come indoors to look for food.
Links: Urban Insects and Arachnids: A Handbook of Urban Entomology
Family: Blattidae
© DewiKwaZulu-Natal
The cockroaches of the family Blattidae carry the ootheca (egg cases) upright and without turning after it is formed.
These species are characterized by having spines on the anterior margin of the front femur. The mid and hind femora have spines on the anterior and posterior margins. Sternum 7 of the female is large, its posterior edge is modified to form two lobes or valves, these lobes are partly separated from the remainder of the sternum by a transverse suture. Tergum 10 of both sexes is rectangular, rounded or triangular, the cerci (two pointed spines, near the posterior end) are often flattened and short.
On those cerci are hairs that are sensitive to air currents. The cockroach can detect such currents and react to them in a split second. By having two cerci (bilateral symmetry) the animal can detect which direction the air currents are coming from. A cockroach’s nervous system works such that when it senses an air current, it runs.
Description
The Australian cockroach is a common species of tropical cockroach, with a length of 23–35 mm. The body is brown in colour. The pronotum (head shield) has a sharply contrasting pale or yellow margin and a dark brown interior. Adults of both sexes are fully winged. Wings extend to or beyond the abdomen. They are poor to moderately good fliers. Tegmina have a conspicuous lateral pale stripe or margin. Males have cerci and styli between the cerci, females lack styli.
Similar species: It is very similar in appearance to the American cockroach and may be easily mistaken for it. It is however, slightly smaller than the American cockroach, has a yellow margin on the thorax and yellow streaks at its sides near the wing base. The Australian Cockroach has a distinct pale pattern on the pronotum (unlike P. americana, which has a washed-out pale pattern).
Distribution
Despite its name, the Australian cockroach is a cosmopolitan species, and an introduced species in Australia. It can be found in many locations throughout the world.
Habitat
It prefers moist habitats and is not cold tolerant. It often lives around the perimeter of buildings and may come indoors to look for food.
Links: Urban Insects and Arachnids: A Handbook of Urban Entomology
Re: AW Insect Book: Cockroaches - Photos & Description
Gregarious Spotted Cockroaches Cartoblatter pulchra
Family: Blattidae
© BluTuna, Pretoriuskop, Kruger Park
© BluTuna, Pretoriuskop, Kruger Park
Description
Body length 21-25mm, shiny black nymphs with rows of white and orange dots gather on exposed portions of tree trunks.
Distribution
Northwest Province, Limpopo and KZN.
Habitat
Subtropical bushveld and coastal regions.
Family: Blattidae
© BluTuna, Pretoriuskop, Kruger Park © BluTuna, Pretoriuskop, Kruger ParkDescription
Body length 21-25mm, shiny black nymphs with rows of white and orange dots gather on exposed portions of tree trunks.
Distribution
Northwest Province, Limpopo and KZN.
Habitat
Subtropical bushveld and coastal regions.
Hunting cannot be considered a sport as all contestants in a sport should know they are playing the game!
Re: AW Insect Book: Cockroaches - Photos & Description
African Cockroach, Tribolite Cockroach Derocalymma sp.
Family: Blaberidae. Subfamily: Perisphaeriinae
© BluTuna
Female, Kruger National Park, Balule camp
Description
Medium-sized (body length 20 mm), very flattened oval body, generally matt dark brown with lighter markings.
Males are winged, females are wingless.
Family: Blaberidae. Subfamily: Perisphaeriinae
© BluTunaFemale, Kruger National Park, Balule camp
Description
Medium-sized (body length 20 mm), very flattened oval body, generally matt dark brown with lighter markings.
Males are winged, females are wingless.
Hunting cannot be considered a sport as all contestants in a sport should know they are playing the game!
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Klipspringer
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Termites: Termitoidae / Infraorder Isoptera
Termites are eusocial insects that are classified at the taxonomic rank of infraorder Isoptera, or as epifamily Termitoidae within the cockroach order Blattodea. Termites were once classified in a separate order from cockroaches, but recent phylogenetic studies indicate that they evolved from close ancestors of cockroaches during the Jurassic or Triassic.
Like ants and some bees and wasps from the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labour among castes consisting of sterile male and female "workers" and "soldiers". All colonies have fertile males called "kings" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Termites mostly feed on dead plant material and cellulose, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung. Termites are major detritivores, particularly in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood and plant matter is of considerable ecological importance.
Termites are among the most successful groups of insects on Earth, colonising most landmasses except Antarctica. Their colonies range in size from a few hundred individuals to enormous societies with several million individuals. Termite queens have the longest lifespan of any insect in the world, with some queens reportedly living up to 30 to 50 years. Unlike ants, which undergo a complete metamorphosis, each individual termite goes through an incomplete metamorphosis that proceeds through egg, nymph, and adult stages. Colonies are described as superorganisms because the termites form part of a self-regulating entity: the colony itself.
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Klipspringer
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Re: Termites: Termitoidae / Infraorder Isoptera
Fungus-growing termites
Order: Blattodea, Family: Termitidae, Subfamily: Macrotermitinae
Macrotermitinae (fungus-growing termites), is subfamily of Termitidae. Fungus-growing termites species cultivate a fungal genus within Termitomyces for decomposing dead plant material externally within the colony. Approximately 30 million years ago this subfamily starts to cultivate ancestor of Termitomyces.
Colony structure
Macrotermitinae has a complex colony system. A mature Macrotermitinae colony consists of a royal pair, sterile caste, winged reproductive called "alates" and young ones. A royal pair are a king and queen which only can reproduce young ones. Sterile caste are workers (major workers and minor workers) and soldiers (major soldiers and minor soldiers). The royal pair produces workers, soldiers, alates (future royal pairs). The royal pair lives in the "royal chamber", the queen continuous lay eggs and king will mate with her. Young ones are immature workers, soldier and alates, they live in the royal chamber after they hatched. Workers concentrates on colony process, for example collecting dead plant materiel, making fungal comb, brood care, taking care of young ones etc. Soldiers protect the colony.
Distribution
The Macrotermitinae subfamily has a widespread distribution through the tropics of Africa, the Middle East, and southern and southeastern Asia.
Ecology
Like other termites, Macrotermitinae are soil engineers, mixing their salivary secretions with soil particles to make their strong, hard mounds and galleries. Their mounds are some of the largest built by any species of termite, with volumes of thousands of litres and lasting for many decades. They are probably the most complex mound colonies of any insect group. There are 11 accepted genera in the Macrotermitinae and about 330 species, with the greatest diversity being in Africa. About 40 species of Termitomyces have been identified as symbionts.
The mound contains galleries and chambers in which the termites grow fungi as endosymbionts. The fungi concerned are species of Termitomyces; it is unclear whether one species of termite is always associated with one species of fungus, and it is probable that several species of termite may utilise a single fungal species. The worker termites bring plant material such as dried grass, decaying wood and leaf litter, back to the mound. This material is chewed up and semi-digested by the termites, fertilised with their faeces and placed in the chambers where it is quickly colonised by the fungus to form a "fungus comb". The termites cultivate these fungus gardens, adding more substrate as required, and removing the older parts of the comb for consumption by all members of the colony.
Order: Blattodea, Family: Termitidae, Subfamily: Macrotermitinae
Macrotermitinae (fungus-growing termites), is subfamily of Termitidae. Fungus-growing termites species cultivate a fungal genus within Termitomyces for decomposing dead plant material externally within the colony. Approximately 30 million years ago this subfamily starts to cultivate ancestor of Termitomyces.
Colony structure
Macrotermitinae has a complex colony system. A mature Macrotermitinae colony consists of a royal pair, sterile caste, winged reproductive called "alates" and young ones. A royal pair are a king and queen which only can reproduce young ones. Sterile caste are workers (major workers and minor workers) and soldiers (major soldiers and minor soldiers). The royal pair produces workers, soldiers, alates (future royal pairs). The royal pair lives in the "royal chamber", the queen continuous lay eggs and king will mate with her. Young ones are immature workers, soldier and alates, they live in the royal chamber after they hatched. Workers concentrates on colony process, for example collecting dead plant materiel, making fungal comb, brood care, taking care of young ones etc. Soldiers protect the colony.
Distribution
The Macrotermitinae subfamily has a widespread distribution through the tropics of Africa, the Middle East, and southern and southeastern Asia.
Ecology
Like other termites, Macrotermitinae are soil engineers, mixing their salivary secretions with soil particles to make their strong, hard mounds and galleries. Their mounds are some of the largest built by any species of termite, with volumes of thousands of litres and lasting for many decades. They are probably the most complex mound colonies of any insect group. There are 11 accepted genera in the Macrotermitinae and about 330 species, with the greatest diversity being in Africa. About 40 species of Termitomyces have been identified as symbionts.
The mound contains galleries and chambers in which the termites grow fungi as endosymbionts. The fungi concerned are species of Termitomyces; it is unclear whether one species of termite is always associated with one species of fungus, and it is probable that several species of termite may utilise a single fungal species. The worker termites bring plant material such as dried grass, decaying wood and leaf litter, back to the mound. This material is chewed up and semi-digested by the termites, fertilised with their faeces and placed in the chambers where it is quickly colonised by the fungus to form a "fungus comb". The termites cultivate these fungus gardens, adding more substrate as required, and removing the older parts of the comb for consumption by all members of the colony.
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Klipspringer
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Re: Termites: Termitoidae / Infraorder Isoptera
Termites of the genus Macrotermes
live in colonies consisting of 1–2 million individuals,contained in a compact subterranean nest. Macrotermes, as the name implies, are among the largest of the termites, with worker masses of about 14–15 mg, so that a single colony can contain several kilograms of termites. Macrotermes have alsoadopted the remarkable habit of fungiculture, maintaining in the nest a culture of a symbiotic fungus, Termitomyces spp., which aids in the digestion of the woody cellulose from the grassand wood that constitute the colony’s main forage. The biomass of the fungal culture far exceeds that of the termites themselves, as does its metabolism. The collective metabolic rate of the colony, termites andfungus, adds up to an impressive rate, probably on the order of about 100 watts, roughly the equivalent of a mammal the size of a goat. Just as it must be in a goat, this high metabolic rate must be supported by a commensurably high rate of exchange of respiratory gases. This is where the mound comes in.
Mound structure varies between species of Macrotermes, but their structures fall within two broad categories, which we term open-chimney and closed-chimney mounds. In both designations, the chimney refers to the largest tunnel in an extensive reticulum of large-caliber vertically-biased tunnels that permeate the mound. In open-chimney mounds, this central tunnel opens at the top of the mound. In closed-chimney mounds, the top is capped.
There are two common species that build closed-chimney mounds, Macrotermes michaelseni and Macrotermes natalensis. Of the two, M michaelseni builds taller mounds, with a conical base topped by a prominent spire that rises 2–3 meters tall. M natalensis mounds are shorter, typically 1–2 meters in height and usually consisting of the conical base only.
In both species, the mound is a device for capturing wind energy to power respiratory gas exchange for the colony. Its function is quite complex, and the structure of the mound and nest are important mediators of this function. The nest, where the termites actually live, consists of a spheroidal space that is typicallyabout 1.5 m in diameter, and contains within it 50 to 100 oblate open spaces called galleries. Each gallery contains a “fungus comb”, which is a complex folded structure constructed by nest workers from macerated wood slurry brought back to the nest by foraging workers. During its construction, the comb is inoculated with fungal spores which germinate and digest the woody forage into more easily digestible oligosaccharides, which constitute the termites’ actual diet.
Lisbeth has spotted this termite mound of Macrotermes michaelseni
Macrotermes michaelseni
live in colonies consisting of 1–2 million individuals,contained in a compact subterranean nest. Macrotermes, as the name implies, are among the largest of the termites, with worker masses of about 14–15 mg, so that a single colony can contain several kilograms of termites. Macrotermes have alsoadopted the remarkable habit of fungiculture, maintaining in the nest a culture of a symbiotic fungus, Termitomyces spp., which aids in the digestion of the woody cellulose from the grassand wood that constitute the colony’s main forage. The biomass of the fungal culture far exceeds that of the termites themselves, as does its metabolism. The collective metabolic rate of the colony, termites andfungus, adds up to an impressive rate, probably on the order of about 100 watts, roughly the equivalent of a mammal the size of a goat. Just as it must be in a goat, this high metabolic rate must be supported by a commensurably high rate of exchange of respiratory gases. This is where the mound comes in.
Mound structure varies between species of Macrotermes, but their structures fall within two broad categories, which we term open-chimney and closed-chimney mounds. In both designations, the chimney refers to the largest tunnel in an extensive reticulum of large-caliber vertically-biased tunnels that permeate the mound. In open-chimney mounds, this central tunnel opens at the top of the mound. In closed-chimney mounds, the top is capped.
There are two common species that build closed-chimney mounds, Macrotermes michaelseni and Macrotermes natalensis. Of the two, M michaelseni builds taller mounds, with a conical base topped by a prominent spire that rises 2–3 meters tall. M natalensis mounds are shorter, typically 1–2 meters in height and usually consisting of the conical base only.
In both species, the mound is a device for capturing wind energy to power respiratory gas exchange for the colony. Its function is quite complex, and the structure of the mound and nest are important mediators of this function. The nest, where the termites actually live, consists of a spheroidal space that is typicallyabout 1.5 m in diameter, and contains within it 50 to 100 oblate open spaces called galleries. Each gallery contains a “fungus comb”, which is a complex folded structure constructed by nest workers from macerated wood slurry brought back to the nest by foraging workers. During its construction, the comb is inoculated with fungal spores which germinate and digest the woody forage into more easily digestible oligosaccharides, which constitute the termites’ actual diet.
Lisbeth has spotted this termite mound of Macrotermes michaelseni
Macrotermes michaelseni
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Klipspringer
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Re: Termites: Termitoidae / Infraorder Isoptera
In the Kruger National Park, 22 genera of termites are known to occur. The mound-building genera in the KNP are
Macrotermes (Termitidae: Macrotermitinae),
Cubitermes (Termitidae: Termitinae),
Amitermes (Termitidae: Termitinae),
Odontotermes (Termitidae: Macrotermitinae) and
Trinervitermes (Termitidae: Nasutermitinae).
Of the two genera of large fungus-growers (Macrotermes and Odontotermes) in South Africa, Macrotermes natalensis is the most abundant in the northern KNP.
Macrotermes (Termitidae: Macrotermitinae),
Cubitermes (Termitidae: Termitinae),
Amitermes (Termitidae: Termitinae),
Odontotermes (Termitidae: Macrotermitinae) and
Trinervitermes (Termitidae: Nasutermitinae).
Of the two genera of large fungus-growers (Macrotermes and Odontotermes) in South Africa, Macrotermes natalensis is the most abundant in the northern KNP.