ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

season (Collins 1977)o It forages under runways and sheeting mostly
of brown topsoil. Foraging occurs all year round with a suggestion
of slightly greater activity In Mays July and November (Collins 1977)o
Macrotermen bellicopus alates fly between 7 and 10 P-m- the night
after raing very early in the rainy seasons It generally flies after
the first heavy raing with only 2 or 3 flights per seasons
Macrotermes subhyalinue
In the area where this woric was carried out M- subhyalinus built
low multi-domed mounds around the gardens and golf-course at Mlo I
(Plate 2-3.6), large domed mounds up to 4m high in the forest at
Rabbaq and had entirely subterranean nests in the primary savanna
woodlande
Unlike M. bellicosus, it has no foodstore and no central hiveo
The fungus combs are found In chambers closely associated with each
othero The fungus combs are largel convoluteds Irregularly shaped
structures with newly deposited material being darker in colour. The
combs sit in the chambers on downward projections of the combo The
large faecal pellet composition of the comb Is obvious (Plate 2-3-7)-
It has dimorphic soldiers and workers and in an even larger
species than Macrotermes bellicosus, the head width of the major
soldiers being about 5 am.
Mechanical cultivation destroys the vxxinds,, It feeds on grass
and plant debris and way also feed on leavenj dung and vood littero
It feeds under runways and sheeting of mainly sub-solle It forages
all year round vith a peak'In. the dry season (Collins 1977).
The slates fly In the evening throughout most of the rainy season,
starting later in the season than M. bellicosum.
520