PAPER TITLE :SPECIES RICHNESS, DIVERSITY AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF TERMITES (INSECTA: ISOPTERA) IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, LAGOS, NIGERIA

FUTA JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE | VOLUME 10 NUMBER 2 2014

Paper Details

  • Author(s) : *K.A. Kemabonta.and S.A. Balogun
  • Abstract:

Termites are widely dispersed throughout the tropics as well as some temperate regions and they play vital
ecological roles such as nutrient cycling and ecosystem engineering. Random sampling and standardized transect
methods were used for sampling termites species during the raining and dry seasons at the University of Lagos
Campus, Akoka, Lagos. Two families (Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae), six subfamilies (Rhinotermitinae,
Amitermitinae, Macrotermitinae, Nasutitermitinae, Termitinae and Microcerotermitinae) and seven genera were
identified from the 229 termite collections made. Subfamily Macrotermitinae constituted 58% of the total number
of species sampled. Members of the genus Macrotermes were the dominant species and constituted 40% of the total
number of species sampled. Eight species were identified and the relative abundance of these eight species were
Amitermes spp.(29%), Macrotermes subhyalinus (24%), Ancistrotermes spp. (18%), Macrotermes natalensis (16%),
Nasutitermes spp. (8%), Coptotermes spp. (3%), Microcerotermes spp.(2%) and Capritermes spp. (1%). Based on
the distribution map, Amitermes spp. was the most widely distributed species (4 zones), followed by Ancistrotermes
spp (3 zones). Capritermes spp. and Microcertermes spp. are considered rare species and their distribution was
limited to only one zone.
Keywords: Termite species, diversity indices, University of Lagos, Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae