ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

Macrotermes bellicosus
This species builds very large conical opigeal wounds which may
be 0-7 m high with a base diameter of 3-4 m (Collins 1979) (Plate
2-3-3)- Other types of viound are built in other places but around
Mokwa the habitacle in entirely below ground levele There are
wounds where the fungus comb sits on a bass plate with spiral vanes
on Its undersides and wounds without a base plates but only the
former were found during the course of this work. The main spires are
hollows connecting with the space around the hive,
The fungus combs are all concentrated in a hive around which
there In a thin layer of earth sheeting. Earthen supports also ramify
through the fungus combo This earth worked by the termites was termed
the nest structure, The foodstore sits on top and slightly down the
sides of the fungus comb (%2*lj Plate 2-3-It Fig* 293*0e The queen
cells which Is a thLekwalledl hardl clay structure sits within the
: fungus comb above the larval galleries which are at the top of the
base plate (Plate 2-3-49 Fig@ 2-3-I)a
The fungus combs are larget convoluted structures with a brain-
like appearance (Plate 2*3,, 5)9 The fresh edge of the comb which is
towards the outside In darker In colour than the rest*
7he soldiers and vorkers are diworphice It In a large speciesl
the head width of the major soldiers being around 4 mm.
It was found in the primary and secondary woodland but was absent
from the forest at Rabbae In order to mechanically cultivate land
the mounds have to be destroyede
It is primarily a wood-feeding species., but also takes plant litter,
with bark in the dry season and some leaflitter early In the rainy
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