Macrotermes
| Macrotermes | |
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| Structure of a Macrotermes natalensis mound | |
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| Order: | Blattodea (prev. Isoptera)
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| Genus: | Macrotermes Holmgren[1]
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| Species | |
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Macrotermes is a genus of termites belonging to the family Termitidae and widely distributed throughout Africa and South-East Asia. Like other genera in the Macrotermitinae, they consume dead plant material by cultivating a Basidiomycete fungus of the genus Termitomyces on galleries inside - often very large - termite mounds. Frequently at the beginning of the rainy season, enormous swarms of winged flying adults disperse to establish new colonies.
The following species have been recorded:[2][3]
References
- ^ Holmgren N (1913). Termitenstudien 4. Versuch einer systematischen Monographie der Termiten der orientalischen Region. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar 50(2):1-276
- ^ Termite catalogue
- ^ Organism names
- ^ Leuthold RH, Triet H, Schildger B (2004). Husbandry and breeding of African Giant Termites (Macrotermes jeanneli) at Berne Animal Park. Zool. Garten N. F. 74: 1, S. 26-37. Online: http://www.tierpark-bern.ch/pdf/Publikation_termiten.pdf
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