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VOL. 11, ISSUE 3 (2026)
Species composition, diversity, habitat ecology of termites in selected habitats of senthurai taluk, ariyalur district, Tamil Nadu, India
Authors
Salahudeen M, Rajasekar P, Julie E, Arshad Shan, Mohammed Salim
Abstract
A survey of termite diversity was conducted in
selected habitats of Senthurai Taluk, Ariyalur District, Tamil Nadu, India,
from January to March 2025 using a 20 m × 20 m quadrat method across three
sampling sites. Three termite species, belonging to the family Termitidae were
recorded: Odontotermes obesus (Rambur), Odontotermes feae
(Wasmann) and Trinervitermes fletcheri (Snyder). Odontotermes obesus
was the dominant species, accounting for 42.1% of the total colonies recorded,
followed by T. fletcheri (41.0%) and O. feae (17.0%). One-way
ANOVA revealed significant differences in colony abundance across the three
sampling sites for all three species (p < 0.05), with Site 3 consistently
recording the lowest abundance across species. Shannon–Wiener diversity index
(H’) ranged from 1.0082 to 1.0492 and Pielou’s evenness index (J’) from 0.9177
to 0.9550 across sites, indicating a moderately diverse and fairly even
community. The three species showed distinct habitat and feeding preferences: T.
fletcheri was predominantly subterranean and grass-associated, O. obesus
was both mound-building and subterranean with polyphagous feeding habits, and O.
feae was exclusively subterranean and dependent on dead wood. Host plant
associations were recorded for O. obesus across 14 plant species
including economically important species such as Azadirachta indica, Mangifera
indica, Tectona grandis and Cocos nucifera, indicating
significant pest implications for agriculture and plantation forestry in
Ariyalur District. This study constitutes the first documented record of
termite community composition from Senthurai Taluk and contributes to the
biodiversity record of Tamil Nadu.
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Pages:228-234
How to cite this article:
Salahudeen M, Rajasekar P, Julie E, Arshad Shan, Mohammed Salim "Species composition, diversity, habitat ecology of termites in selected habitats of senthurai taluk, ariyalur district, Tamil Nadu, India". International Journal of Entomology Research, Vol 11, Issue 3, 2026, Pages 228-234
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