Termites (<i>Blattodea</i> Latreille 1810, <i>Termitoidae</i> Latreille 1802) of Abuko Nature Reserve, Nyambai Forest Park and Tanji Bird Reserve (The Gambia)

• Main Authors: Abdoulaye Baila Ndiaye, Ebrima Njie, Paul A. Correa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-04-01
• Series: Insects
• Subjects: termites; The Gambia; protected site
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/10/5/122

From 28 October to 5 November 2013, a termite study was undertaken in 3 protected sites in The Gambia (West Africa). The aim of the study is to investigate the diversity of termites in three protected areas in the western region of the country. Termite sampling is carried out in 100 m &#215; 2 m transects that are replicated three (3) times in each site. A total of thirty-one (31) termite species, that belong to fungus growing (11), harvester (1), humuvorous (12) and xylophagous (7), were recorded. The following nineteen (19) species are new to The Gambia: <i>Coptotermes intermedius</i>, <i>Astalotermes</i> near <i>quietus</i>, <i>Ancistrotermes</i> <i>cavithorax</i>, <i>Macrotermes</i> <i>bellicosus</i>, <i>Microtermes</i> <i>grassei</i>, <i>M. lepidus</i>, <i>M. subhyalinus</i>, <i>Odontotermes erraticus</i>, <i>O. pauperans</i>, <i>O.</i> <i>sudanensis, Basidentitermes</i> sp., <i>Euchilotermes</i> <i>tensus</i> <i>arcuata</i>, <i>Noditermes</i> <i>cristifrons</i>, <i>Amitermes evuncifer</i>, <i>Amitermes spinifer, Microcerotermes fuscotibialis, Microcerotermes</i> near <i>parvulus, Microcerotermes</i> near <i>solidus and Promirotermes holmgreni.</i> Additional description and/or ecological information on <i>Odontotermes</i> <i>erraticus</i>, <i>Cubitermes</i> <i>severus</i>, <i>Cubitermes</i> n. <i>proximatus</i>, <i>Euchilotermes</i> <i>tensus</i> <i>arcuata</i>, <i>Basidentitermes</i> sp., and <i>Noditermes</i> <i>cristifrons</i> are given.