Heterotermes indicola

Heterotermes indicola, is a species of subterranean termite of the genus Heterotermes. It is native to tropical India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka but has extended its range into the subtropics and warm temperate areas of the Himalayan foothills to altitudes of about 2,000 m (6,600 ft).[1] It causes damage to timber in buildings and is one of the most destructive termites in urban and agricultural areas in the world.[2] Soldiers are about 4.1-4.9mm long.[3] Extracts of garlic[4] and Calotropis procera[5] are known to have termiticidal effects on H. indicola.

Heterotermes indicola
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Infraorder: Isoptera
Family: Rhinotermitidae
Genus: Heterotermes
Species:
H. indicola
Binomial name
Heterotermes indicola
(Wasmann, 1902)
Synonyms
  • Leucotermes indicola Wasmann, 1902

Ecology

Subterranean termites live in colonies underground, with no mounds or above-ground structures to indicate that they are present. Sugarcane can be severely attacked causing 90 to 100% damage, fruit orchards 80 to 90% damage, maize 45% damage and wheat 10 to 12% damage.[6] Another crop attacked by this termite is the bitter melon (Momordica charantia).[3] This termite favours a soil moisture content of 20 to 30%, and a timber moisture content of 80 to 100%.[7]

These termites are known to attack and feed on many economically important species on a large scale, reducing their yield. Trees and woody plants attacked include:[8]

Structural damage

This subterranean termite causes extensive damage in houses to wooden structures, as well as feeding on paper, cloth and other cellulose-containing products. It gains entry to buildings through timber in contact with the ground, creating galleries along the grain of the wood. It hollows out the timber, leaving a thin external layer intact and plastering the interior surfaces with excreta. It also creates mud tunnels along surfaces, and sometimes creates hanging, stub tunnels, a particular characteristic of this species. Timber buildings can be badly affected by this termite, and in the 1940s, the small town of Sri Hargobindpur in Punjab had to be abandoned because of the destruction wreaked by this species.[3]

References
  1. Mani, M.S. (2012). Ecology and Biogeography in India. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 452. ISBN 978-94-010-2331-3.
  2. "An annotated checklist of termites (Isoptera) from Sri Lanka". National Science Foundation. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  3. Mahapatro, Gagan Kumar. "Reporting first time Heterotermes indicola (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) from Delhi". Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  4. "Behavioral Changes of Heterotermes indicola (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Against Some Natural Products" (PDF). Pakistan J. Zool. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  5. "Toxic Effects of Ak (Calotropis procera) Plant Extracts Against Termites (Heterotermes indicola and Coptotermes heimi) Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae". Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  6. Sohail, Kamran; Khan, Imtiaz Ali; Saljoqi, Ahmad Ur Rahman; Manzoor, Farkhanda; Ashfaq, Sana; Sadozai, Amna (2014). "Tunnelling behavior of Heterotermes indicola (Wasmann) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) under insecticide treated conditions". Sarhad Journal of Agriculture. 30 (1).
  7. Mani, M.S. (2012). Ecology and Biogeography in India. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 434. ISBN 978-94-010-2331-3.
  8. "Comparative Study of Resistance and Feeding Preference of 24 Wood Species to Attack by Heterotermes indicola (Wasmann) and Coptotermes heimi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae) in Pakistan". Sociology - An International Journal of Social Insects. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
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