Termites (Isoptera) as secondary occupants in mounds of Macrotermes michaelseni (Sjostedt) in Kenya

摘要

Termites were found as secondary occupants in mounds of Macrotermes michaelseni (Sjostedt) in Kajiado District, in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Data are presented from 34 mounds that were completely demolished and extracted to analyse the population of the primary nest. Secondary occupants were found in 29 of the 34 mounds, averaging 2.4 species per occupied mound (or 2.1 species per mound overall). The termites belonged to nine species, three of which were not found anywhere else in the area of study. The frequency of occurrence of the different species and their degree of association with the host mounds are examined and discussed.