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Mound structure and nest population of the termite, Pseudacanthotermes spiniger (Sjostedt) in Kenya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Johanna P. E. C. Darlington
Johanna P. E. C. Darlington*
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
*
*Contact address: University Museum of Zoology, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
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Abstract

Several mounds in western Kenya were excavated to examine their internal structure. The mounds and the soil beneath them were found to be densely packed with discrete chambers containing fungus combs. A simple system of passages opening to the exterior provided both access and ventilation to the interior of the nest. One nest was killed by fumigation and its contents extracted. The nest population was estimated to be 0.28 million adult steriles with a biomass of 462 g dry weight, and the total dry weight of fungus comb was 2.8 kg. These estimates are very low in comparison to nests of Macrotermes spp. that build mounds of comparable size. The ratio of fungus comb weight to adult biomass (6:1) is higher than that in Macrotermes spp., perhaps because the comb is constructed in a different way.

Résumé

Plusieurs termitières dans l'Ouest du Kenya ont ete fouillees en vue d'examiner leur structure interne. Les termitières et le sol sous-jacent se sont révelés densement tassés, avec des chambres distinctes renfermant des meules à champignon. Un système simple de galéries ouvrant sur l'extérieur permettait à la fois l'acces et I'aération de l'interieur du nid. Une des termitières a ete detruite par fumigation et son contenu retiré. La population du nid a été estimées à 0,28 millions d'adultes stériles avec une biomasse de 462 g de poids sec tandis que le poids sec total de la meule à champignon a été de 2,8 kg. Ces estimations sont très faibles comparées aux nids de Macrotermes spp. qui construisent des termitières d'une taille semblabie. Le rapport entre poids de la meule à champignon et biomasse adulte (6:1) est plus élevé que chez Macrotermes spp., peutêtre à cause de le meule qui est construite différement.

Keywords

ventilationfungus combsprefermentationpopulationbiomassaérationmeule à champignonpré-fermentationpopulationbiomasse
Type
Research Articles
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 15 , Issue 4-5 , October 1994 , pp. 445 - 452
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1994

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References

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