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Termites (Isoptera) of Thailand

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Termites (Isoptera) of Thailand TERMITES (ISOPTERA) OF THAILAND MUZAFFER AHMAD BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM'OF NATURAL HISTORY VOLUME 131: ARTICLE I, NEW, YORK: 1965 TERMITES (ISOPTERA) OF THAILAND MUZAFFER AHMAD Department of Zoology University of the Panjab Lahore, Pakistan BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOLUME 131 : ARTICLE 1 NEW YORK : 1965 BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Volume 131, article 1, pages 1-114, figures 1-114, tables 1-49 Issued December 16, 1965 Price: $2.00 a copy CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..................... 5 Analysis of the Termite Collection from Thailand. 5 Localities Surveyed . 5 Terminology ................ 6 SYSTEMATIC AcCOUNT .................... 7 Key to the Genera . 7 Family Kalotermitidae . ...................... 9 Genus Postelectrotermes Krishna . 9 Genus Glyptotermes Froggatt.. 10 Genus Bifiditermes Krishna . 14 Genus Cryptotermes Banks . 14 Rhinotermitidae .. .. Family . .. 17 .. .. Subfamily Coptotermitinae . 17 Genus .. .. Wasmann . Coptotermes . 17 Subfamily Rhinotermitinae .... ....... 23 Genus Prorhinotermes Silvestri . 23 Genus Schedorhinotermes Silvestri .................... 24 Family Termitidae . 30 Subfamily Macrotermitinae ..... ........ 30 Macrotermes .. Genus . Holmgren . .. 30 Genus .. Odontotermes . Holmgren . 43 Genus .. .. Hypotermes Holmgren . 53 Genus .. .. Microtermes Wasmann . 57 Amitermitinae .. .. Subfamily . 59 Genus Indotermes .. Roonwal and . Sen-Sarma . 59 Genus .. Wasmann . Speculitermes . 61 Genus .. .. Euhamitermes . Holmgren . 63 Genus .. ... Microcerotermes . Silvestri . 64 Genus Globitermes .. .. Holmgren . 70 Genus Amitermes .. .. Silvestri . 72 Nasutitermitinae .. .. Subfamily . .. 74 Genus .. .. Havilanditermes . Light .7. 74 Genus . .. Nasutitermes . ..... Dudley ... 76 Genus .. .. Bulbitermes Emerson . .. 82 Genus .. .. Hospitalitermes Holmgren . 88 Genus .. Aciculitermes . Emerson . 90 Termitinae .. .. Subfamily . 90 Genus . .. Termes . Linne . 90 . Genus .. Mirocapritermes Holmgren . 95 Genus .. .. Silvestri . Pericapritermes . 98 Genus . .. Krishna . Dicuspiditermes . 100 Genus .. Wasmann . Capritermes . 103 . Genus .. Procapritermes . Holmgren . 104 . Genus .. Kemner . Pseudocapritermes . 106 . SUMMARY 109 ................... List of 74 Species Recorded from Thailand. 109 REFERENCES ................. 111 3 %. K.0ci. 0 50. 100 200 300 MIiLES FIG. 1. Map of Thailand, showing the localities surveyed. 4 INTRODUCTION THE PRESENT MONOGRAPH deals with the ter- TABLE 1 mite fauna of Thailand, the survey of which ANALYSIS OF THE TERMITE COLLECTION was carried out by the author during March FROM THAILAND and April, 1962, under the sponsorship of the South-East Asia Treaty Organization, Bang- Number Num- Number kok. A small collection made by Mr. Domrung Subfamilyaof ber of of New Chaiglom of the Royal Forest Department, Genera Species Species Bangkok, has also been incorporated in the present study. Altogether, 74 species repre- Kalotermitidae 4 7 3 29 Rhinotermitidae senting genera are described here. Of these, Coptotermitinae 1 5 1 32 species are new to science. Rhinotermitinae 2 4 2 The termite fauna of Thailand has hitherto Termitidae been very poorly investigated. Snyder (1949), Macrotermitinae 4 19 7 in his catalogue of the termites of the world, Amitermitinae 6 10 4 listed only six species from Thailand. These Nasutitermitinae 5 14 7 are: Bifiditermes indicus (Holmgren), Crypto- Termitinae 7 15 8 termes domesticus (Haviland), Coptotermes havilandi Holmgren, Macrotermes annandalei Total 29 74 32 (Silvestri), Macrotermes carbonarius (Hagen), and Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki). All these species, except Macrotermes annandalei, University of the Panjab, Lahore, Pakistan. were recorded by Holmgren (1913b) in his Paratypes (except those of Glyptotermes ka- monograph on the systematics of the termites chongensis and Mirocapritermes latignathus) of the Oriental Region. are deposited in the American Museum of For the facilities and assistance extended Natural History. to me during my stay in Thailand, I wish to All the text figures, except the map, were express my deep gratitude to Mr. Chakratong drawn by the author with the aid of a cam- Tongyai, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry era lucida. of Agriculture, Bangkok, and to the following officers of the Royal Forest Department, ANALYSIS OF THE TERMITE Bangkok: Mr. Vichien Kunjara Na Ayud- COLLECTION FROM THAILAND haya, Director-General; Mr. Dusit Phani- In the 40 days of field work, nearly 400 chapatna, Deputy Director-General; Dr. colonies representing 74 species were collected. Thanom Premrasmi, Chief, Forest Products An analysis of the collection is given in table 1. Research Division, and Mr. Tim Simitanand, Forest Botanist. To Mr. Dhanee Phanichapol LOCALITIES SURVEYED and Mr. Wichitra Krisnabamrung, both of Termites were collected from the following the Royal Forest Department, Bangkok, I 13 localities in the southern, eastern, central, owe a particular debt for their untiring efforts and northwestern parts of Thailand (fig. 1): in the field. Dr. Kumar Krishna of the Ameri- Ka-Chong, Kan Tang, Huay Yang, Muaek can Museum of Natural History has been Lek, Klang Dong, Khao Yai, Chantaburi, very kind in sending me specimens of termites Makham, Prew, Tung Sa-Lang Luang Na- from his collection from Burma, which I tional Park, Wang Nok An, Tak, and Kilo- needed in connection with my present study. meter 20 east of Mae Sod on the Tak Road. My thanks are also extended to the South- Ka-Chong and Kan Tang are in the thick East Asia Treaty Organization for a generous evergreen forest belt. There are numerous financial grant, without which this work rubber plantations in the area. During my would not have been possible. stay of 13 days in the southern province of Holotype specimens are in the author's col- Trang, I collected chiefly in the evergreen lection lodged in the Department of Zoology, forests and rubber plantations in the vicinity 5 6 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 131 TABLE 2 LIST OF TERMITE COLLECTING LOCALITIES, WITH THE ALTITUDE, LATITUDE, AND LONGITUDE Name of locality Name of Province (Meters) Latitude Longitude Ka-Chong Trang 100 70331 N. 990471 E Kan Tang Trang 100 70231 N. 990301 E. Huay Yang Prachuab 50 110351 N. 990381 E. Muaek Lek Saraburi 220 140391 N. 1010121 E. Klang Dong Nakhon Rachasima 360 140381 N. 1010161 E. Khao Yai Nakhon Rachasima 767 140261 N. 1010 2' E. Chantaburi Chantaburi 10 12036' N. 1020071 E. Makham Chantaburi 10 12040' N. 1020121 E. Prew Chantaburi 100 12031' N. 1020111 E. Tung Sa-Lang Luang National Park Pitsanulok 563 160501 N. 1000541 E. Wang Nok An Pitsanulok 80 16051' N. 1000311 E. Tak Tak 110 160471 N. 990 91 E. 20 kilometers east of Mae Sod on Tak Road Tak 600 of the Ka-Chong Forest Experiment Station. A list of the localities, with the altitude, Huay Yang Forest Experiment Station is on latitude, and longitude, is given in table 2. the seacoast. The climate here is dry, and the forest is of scrub type. Muaek Lek and Klang TERMINOLOGY Dong are situated in an area where much of The first tooth of the imago-worker mandi- the forest has been cleared for cultivation. ble is designated as the apical tooth, and the Khao Yai is at an altitude of 767 meters and rest are termed the marginal teeth which, in is surrounded by thick evergreen forests. It mandibles like those of Coptotermes, are fur- is a very good locality for termite collecting. ther designated as the first, second, and third Around Chantaburi there are only rubber marginal teeth (Emerson, 1933; Ahmad, plantations; forests are near Makham, 16 1950). The two sides of a marginal tooth are kilometers north of Chantaburi. Prew Agri- referred to as anterior and posterior cutting cultural Experiment Station is situated at the edges. The small tooth at the base of the foot of low hills which are covered with thick anterior cutting edge of the first marginal evergreen forests. At the foot of the hills there tooth of the right mandible as seen in the are rubber plantations. Tung Sa-Lang Luang rhinotermitids is called the subsidiary tooth. National Park extends over a vast area, most The width of the head of the imago includes of which is under thick rain forest. At higher the eyes. altitudes in the Park there are also pine for- The diameter of the eye includes the ocular ests. Collecting was done mostly in the vicin- sclerite. ity of the Forest Rest House. The forests The length of the mandible of the soldier around Wang Nok An are of mixed deciduous is measured from the condyle to the tip. type, which is also found near Tak. In Mae The length of the postmentum is the med- Sod District, the collecting site was selected ian length of the sclerotized portion. at 20 kilometers east of Mae Sod town on the The length of the pronotum is the distance road to Tak. The forests here are of thick between the anterior and posterior emargina- evergreen type, and the altitude is 600 meters. tions measured along the median line. SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT KEY TO THE GENERA IMAGOES cut in front of second marginal tooth; la- 1. Fontanelle absent; pronotum flatly arched. 2 brum as long as or shorter than wide and Fontanelle present; pronotum not flatly without sclerotized transverse band in middle . 11 arched ........ .. .. 5 2. Forewing with media and cubitus arising from 9. Wings unusually long; postclypeus much a common stem outside wing scale lighter than rest of head capsule; antennae ............. Bifiditermes with 15-18 articles. ... Microtermes Forewing with media and cubitus arising from Wings not unusually
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