Microhodotermes
| Microhodotermes | |
|---|---|
| File:Microhodotermes viator.jpg | |
| Microhodotermes viator | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Blattodea |
| Infraorder: | Isoptera |
| Family: | Hodotermitidae |
| Genus: | Microhodotermes Sjöstedt, 1926 |
Microhodotermes is a genus of southern African harvester termites in the Hodotermitidae. As with harvester termites in general, they have serrated inner edges to their mandibles, and all castes have functional compound eyes.[1] Species of this genus are desert specialists of the Namib, Kalahari and Karoo, where their ranges overlap with Hodotermes.[2][3]
They forage at night and during daylight hours, and their pigmented workers[3] are often observed outside the nest.[1] The workers of M. viator collect mostly woody material, with Pteronia and vygie species being favoured.[3]
Colonies of M. viator produce initially small,[4] conical mounds on soil with sufficient clay content.[3] These are speculated to cause the formation of increasingly large heuweltjies.[4] Widespread foraging and burrowing activity of aardvarks are associated with heuweltjies inhabited by M. viator.[4]
Species
[edit | edit source]The genus contains three species:[5]
- Microhodotermes maroccanus (Sjöstedt, 1926)
- Microhodotermes viator (Latreille, 1804)
- Microhodotermes wasmanni (Sjöstedt, 1900)
References
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