Macrotermes

Macrotermes
Structure of a Macrotermes natalensis mound
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Superorder:	Dictyoptera
Order:	Blattodea (prev. Isoptera)
Family:	Termitidae
Subfamily:	Macrotermitinae
Genus:	Macrotermes Holmgren[1]
Species
See text

Macrotermes is a genus of termites belonging to the family Termitidae and widely distributed throughout Africa and South-East Asia. Like other genera in the Macrotermitinae, they consume dead plant material by cultivating a Basidiomycete fungus of the genus Termitomyces on galleries inside - often very large - termite mounds. Frequently at the beginning of the rainy season, enormous swarms of winged flying adults disperse to establish new colonies.

The following species have been recorded:^[2][3]

Macrotermes acrocephalus Macrotermes ahmadi Macrotermes aleemi Macrotermes annandalei Macrotermes barneyi Macrotermes beaufortensis Macrotermes bellicosus Macrotermes carbonarius Macrotermes chaiglomi Macrotermes choui Macrotermes constrictus Macrotermes convulsionarius Macrotermes declivatus Macrotermes denticulatus Macrotermes falciger Macrotermes gilvus Macrotermes gratus Macrotermes guangxiensis Macrotermes hainanensis Macrotermes herus Macrotermes hopini Macrotermes ituriensis Macrotermes ivorensis Macrotermes jeanneli [4] Macrotermes jinghongensis Macrotermes khajuriae Macrotermes latignathus Macrotermes latinotus Macrotermes lilljeborgi

Macrotermes longiceps Macrotermes longimentis Macrotermes luokengensis Macrotermes maesodensis Macrotermes malaccensis Macrotermes medogensis Macrotermes meidoensis Macrotermes menglongensis Macrotermes michaelseni Macrotermes mozambicanus Macrotermes muelleri Macrotermes natalensis Macrotermes niger Macrotermes nobilis Macrotermes orthognathus Macrotermes peritrimorphus Macrotermes probeaufortensis Macrotermes renouxi Macrotermes scheuthlei Macrotermes serrulatus Macrotermes singaporensis Macrotermes subhyalinus Macrotermes trapezoides Macrotermes trimorphus Macrotermes ukuzii Macrotermes vitrialatus Macrotermes yunnanensis Macrotermes zhejiangensis

References

1. Holmgren N (1913). Termitenstudien 4. Versuch einer systematischen Monographie der Termiten der orientalischen Region. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar 50(2):1-276
2. Termite catalogue
3. Organism names
4. Leuthold RH, Triet H, Schildger B (2004). Husbandry and breeding of African Giant Termites (Macrotermes jeanneli) at Berne Animal Park. Zool. Garten N. F. 74: 1, S. 26-37. Online: http://www.tierpark-bern.ch/pdf/Publikation_termiten.pdf