Colony Populations and Biomass in Nests of the Amazonian Forest Termite Anoplotermes banksi Emerson (Isoptera: Termitidae)

Biomass and abundance of termites in three remnant areas of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil

“…Although quantification of biomass and abundance are two of the most important parameters used to evaluate the functional role of a species or an assemblage of termites in a given ecosystem, quantitative studies of the termite fauna have been relatively scarce in humid tropical forests (see Matsumoto 1976;Abe & Matsumoto 1979;Bandeira 1979;Wood et al 1982;Collins 1984;Bandeira & Torres 1985;Martius 1994a;Eggleton et al 1996;Bandeira & Vasconcellos 2002). The great majority of the surveys of termite biomass and abundance in the Neotropical region have been undertaken in the Brazilian Amazon (Bandeira & Torres 1985;Martius & Ribeiro 1996;Bandeira & Harada 1998;Martius 1998), while only three quantitative surveys have been undertaken in areas within the Atlantic Forest complex (Silva & Bandeira 1999;Silva 2000;Bandeira & Vasconcellos 2002 Quantitative surveys Estimates of termite biomass and abundance were made during the months of June and July (rainy season) and during November and December (dry season), 2000, between 07:00 and 15:00. Collections were made in four microhabitats: leaf litter, nests (arboreal and epigeal), on the soil (at depths up to 30 cm), and in tree trunks.…”

Biomass and population structure of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Silvestri) (Isoptera: termitidae) in the dry forest of caatinga, northeastern Brazil

“…However, because the population of a nest may be spread over different microhabitats (e.g. soil, logs, litter), estimative from nest population alone may be conservative, as they are likely to target portions of the overall termite population (Martius & Ribeiro 1997). Nevertheless, in the case of C. cyphergaster, valuable population data, as long as it is done during daylight.…”

“…used as a tool to estimate termite abundance (Bandeira & Torres 1985, Martius & Ribeiro 1997. However, because the population of a nest may be spread over different microhabitats (e.g.…”

Review of bees as guests in termite nests, with a new record of the communal bee, Gaesochira obscura (Smith, 1879) (Hymenoptera, Apidae), in nests of Anoplotermes banksi Emerson, 1925 (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitinae)

“…; Nasutitermes rippertii (Rambur, 1842) Roubik (1983), Silvestri (1903) T. recursa Smith, 1863 Cornitermes bequaerti Emerson, 1952Camargo (1970; Camargo and Posey (1990); Lenko (1971); Posey and Camargo (1985) CENTRIDINI Bourguignon et al, 2009) to the Brazilian state of Rondônia. It feeds on humus (Bourguignon et al, 2009) and, according to Martius and Ribeiro (1996), the nest density of A. banksi can reach 18 nests/ha (15% of all epigeal termite nests) in some localities of Amazonia. Along Madeira River banks, at Rondônia, the nest density of this species is also very high (Carrijo, pers.…”

“…obs.). The nests of this termite are dark gray or brown and are made from feces, fine mineral soil (Martius and Ribeiro, 1996), and probably some wood pieces. The nest is very solid and hard, with the inner walls dark, probably composed of more feces then the lighter outer walls.…”