Heterotermes

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Heterotermes
A colony of H. aureus found after lifting a rock.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Infraorder: Isoptera
Family: Rhinotermitidae
Genus: Heterotermes
Froggatt, 1896

Heterotermes is a genus of subterranean termites belonging to the family Rhinotermitidae.[1] The genus has an almost cosmopolitan distribution.[1] One of their closest relatives is the Reticulitermes genus.

General overview

Some Heterotermes have been considered pests because they form large colonies. They feed themselves by gathering cellulose from natural sources such as dead tree logs, stumps, and branches and from man-made wooden structures such as buildings, books, paper, and other similar objects.

Heterotermes are considered to be highly adaptable, having a relatively fast growth rate in mature colonies with good conditions. They are found in dry and humid wooded areas, such as the West Indies and the Bahamas,[2] except for the Heterotermes aureus, which has been found in Northwestern Mexico and Southwestern United States.[2] An adaptation in Heterotermes is the relatively fast neotenic formation within the colony. They are only observed to have the nymphoid neotenic caste as a secondary reproductive.

They are similar in appearance to the Reticulitermes, but the soldier caste of the Heterotermes are smaller and exhibit a mandible with a curved tip and a base area that is straighter than that of the Reticulitermis.

Castes

Primary reproducers

The alates of many Heterotermes and Reticulitermes are very similar in morphology. However, many Heterotermes gynes are more lightly pigmented (color range is usually pale yellow-brown to orange-brown) than Reticulitermes. They are between 7 and 11 millimeters in length. A colony usually only consists of one pair of primary reproducers, but they are occasionally found to have more than one reproductive pair.

Heterotermes alates with eggs. By Dulneth Wijewardana

Secondary reproducers

The only found type of secondary reproducers in Heterotermes are nymphoid neotenic. They usually arise in case of colony isolation or the death of primary reproducers. They start to develop from around third instar nymphs. Older nymphs of this caste are also found to molt back into a nymphoid neotenic in case they are needed. A colony can have multiple nymphoid neotenic pairs that become physogastric (enlarge the abdomen) within the first few weeks to produce eggs. Similar to workers, they lack visible eyes and are usually lightly pigmented which gives them a light orange tint.

Nymphoid neotenic females of heterotermes, By Dulneth Wijewardana
Nymphoid neotenic pairs among colony with eggs and workers, By Dulneth Wijewardana

Workers and soldiers

Workers build up the majority of a colony alongside soldiers. Workers perform tasks such as gathering food, expanding the nest, and caring for reproducers and their brood, while soldiers perform the task of defending the nest against intruders. Soldiers will excrete a light grey-tinted sticky liquid when disturbed, and are also found to bump their heads into nest walls to alert fellow colony members about arriving danger.

Workers and Soldiers found within a heterotermes colony, By Dulneth Wijewardana

Species

References

  1. ^ a b "Heterotermes Froggatt, 1896". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b "West Indian Subterranean Termite". entnemdept.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
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