Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Polycalic colonies of some mound building termites (Isoptera: Termitidae) in northeastern Australia

Polycalische Kolonien hügelbauender Termiten (Isoptera: Termitidae) in Nordostaustralien

  • Published:
Insectes Sociaux Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The relationships of adjacent mounds of five widely distributed species of termites, at two sites south and southwest of Townsville in north Queensland have been examined. It has been shown that four of these species,Amitermes laurensis (Mjöberg),Tumulitermes pastinator (Hill),Drepanotermes rubriceps (Froggatt) andDrepanotermes perniger (Froggatt), are polycalic, with up to eight mounds comprising a single colony. A simple unequivocal method was used. A bait containing a radioactive tracer (131I) was introduced to a mound and the subsequent transfer of this bait to other mounds by termites was monitored with a scintillation detector. The existence of polycalic mounds among some Australian termite colonies alters the interpretation of mound distribution data. In particular, overdispersion of the mounds of some species cannot be interpreted as indicating intraspecific competition if the locations of polycalic mounds are unknown.

Zusammenfassung

Von der anliegenden Erdhügeln den 5 weitverteilenden Termitengattungen, die an 2 Lagen nach dem Süd und Südwest von Townsville, nord Queensland, sind, sind die Verwandschaften untersucht worden. Es ist gezeigt worden, dass 4 diesen Gattungen, nämlichAmitermes laurensis (Mjöberg),Tumulitermes pastinator (Hill),Drepanotermes rubriceps (Froggatt) undDrepanotermes perniger (Froggatt) polycalisch sind, worin eine einzige Kolonie bis 8 Erdhügeln enthält. Eine enfache unzweideutgie Methode gebrauchte wurde. Ein Köder, der einen radioactiveren (131I) Indikator enthielt, in einem Erdhügel eingeführte wurde, dann wurde die nachfolgende durch Termiten nach anderen Erdhügeln Ubertragung diesem Köder mit einen Szintillationsdetektor kontrolliert. Die Darstellung der Erdhugelverteilungs — tatsachen verhandert ist dadurch, dass zwischen einigen australienischen Termitenkolonien gibt es die polycalischen Erdhügeln. Im einzelnen, kann die überzerstreuung der Erdhügeln für einigen gattungen als Indikation der innenspecifischen Mitbewerbung, nicht erklärte wird, wenn die Lagen der polycalischen Erdhügeln unbekannt wird.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Coaton W.G.H., 1958. — The Hodotermid harvester termites of South Africa.Union S. Africa, Dept. Agr. Bull., 375, 1–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Easey J.F. (in press). —Detection of termite infestation. 4th Pacific Nuclear Basin Conf. Vancouver, Canada, Sept. 1983.

  • Grassé P.P., Noirot C. 1948. — Sur le nid et la biologie duSphaerotermes sphaerothorax (Sjost). Termite constructeur de meules sans champignons.Ann. Sci. Nat. Zool. Biol. Animale, 20, 149–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris W.V., 1958. — Colony formation in the Isoptera.Proc. 10th Int. Congr. Ent., 435–439.

  • Hill G.F., 1942. — Termites (Isoptera) of the Australian Region.C.S.I.R., Melbourne, 479 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holt J.A., Greenslade P.J.M. 1979. — Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in mounds ofAmitermes laurensis (Isoptera: Termitidae).J. Aust. Ent. Soc., 18, 349–361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holt J.A., Coventry R.J., Sinclair D.F., 1980. — Some aspects of the biology and pedological significance of mound-building termites in a red and yellow earth landscape near Charters Towers, North Queensland.Aust. J. Soil Res., 18, 97–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohiagu C.E., 1979. — Nest and soil populations ofTrinervitermes spp. with particular reference toT. geminatus (Wasmann) (Isoptera), in southern Guinea Savanna near Mokwa, Nigeria.Oecologia (Berl.), 40, 167–178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sands W.A., 1961. — Nest structure and size distribution in the genusTrinervitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae) in West Africa.Ins., Soc., 8, 177–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sands W.A., 1965. — Mound population movements and fluctuation inTrinervitermes ebenerianus Sjöstedt (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae).Ins. Soc., 12, 49–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson J.A.L., Perry D.H., 1981. — The Australian harvester termites of the genusDrepanotermes (Isoptera: Termitinae).Aust. J. Zool., Suppl. Ser., 78, 1–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood T.G., Lee K.E. 1971. — Abundance of mounds and competition among colonies of some Australian termite species.Pedobiologia, 11, 341–366.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Soils, C.S.I.R.O., Davies Laboratory, P.M.B., P.O., 4814, Aitkenvale, Queensland, Australia

    J. A. Holt

  2. A.A.E.C. Research Establishment, Lucas Heights Research Laboratories, P.M.B., 2232, Sutherland, New South Wales, Australia

    J. F. Easey

Authors
  1. J. A. Holt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. F. Easey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Holt, J.A., Easey, J.F. Polycalic colonies of some mound building termites (Isoptera: Termitidae) in northeastern Australia. Ins. Soc 32, 61–69 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02233226

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02233226

Keywords

Search

Navigation