Odontotermes


Odontotermes is a termite genus belonging to subfamily Macrotermitinae, which is native to the Old World. They are most destructive in wooden homes, and are agricultural pests in the tropics and subtropics of Africa and Asia. It is the most diverse termite genus in Africa, with 78 species recorded.

Nests

Their underground nests form a slight mound above ground, which may be covered in grass. In large colonies, the mounds may be up to in diameter, and may be covered by shrubs and trees. Some species construct open chimneys or vent holes that descend into the mound. The fungal garden is enveloped by a thick layer of clay.

Castes

The queen lives in a clay cell in the midst of the fungal garden at the center of the hive. The African species have a single soldier caste, unlike the related genus Macrotermes.
Alarmed soldier termites of Odontotermes badius Haviland 1898 expel an odoriferous brown defensive secretion between their mandibles that becomes sticky and rubbery on exposure to air. The secretion is a mixture of benzoquinone and protein.

Food

Their only food is the fungus grown in the fungal garden at the center of the nest. The fungus is cultivated on a substrate of wood, bark, leaf litter, dry dung, and dead grass. These are plastered with cement where they are obtained, which facilitates diurnal foraging. Odontotermes species are major contributors to litter decomposition. The fungus Termitomyces reticulatus is found in association with O. badius and O. transvaalensis in Africa.

Species

Species include:Odontotermes assmuthi Holmgren, 1913 – South AsiaOdontotermes badius – AfricaOdontotermes ceylonicus – South AsiaOdontotermes escherichi Holmgren, 1911 – South AsiaOdontotermes feae – South AsiaOdontotermes formosanus – South AsiaOdontotermes globicola – South AsiaOdontotermes horni – South AsiaOdontotermes koenigi – South AsiaOdontotermes latericius – AfricaOdontotermes obesus – South AsiaOdontotermes preliminaris – South AsiaOdontotermes redemanni – South AsiaOdontotermes taprobanes – South AsiaOdontotermes transvaalensis – AfricaOdontotermes wallonensis Wasmann – South Asia