''Odontotermes'', commonly known as the fungus-growing termites, is a

termite Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattode ...

genus belonging to family

Termitidae Termitidae is the largest family of termites whose members are commonly known as the higher termites. They are evolutionarily the most specialised termite group, with their highly compartmentalized hindgut lacking the flagellated protozoans comm ...

, which is native to the

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by th ...

. They are most destructive in wooden homes, and are agricultural pests in the tropics and subtropics of Africa and Asia. It is the most diverse termite genus in Africa, with 78 species recorded (as of 2002).

Nests

Their underground nests form a slight mound above ground, which may be covered in grass. In large colonies, the mounds may be up to in diameter, and may be covered by shrubs and trees. Some species construct open chimneys or vent holes that descend into the mound. The fungal garden is enveloped by a thick layer of clay.

Castes

The queen is imprisoned in a clay cell in the midst of the fungal garden at the center of the hive. The African species have a single soldier cast, unlike the related genus ''

Macrotermes ''Macrotermes'' is a genus of termites belonging to the subfamily Macrotermitinae and widely distributed throughout Africa and South-East Asia. Well-studied species include '' Macrotermes natalensis'' and '' M. bellicosus.'' Like other genera ...

''.

Food

Their only food is the fungus grown in the fungal garden at the center of the nest. The fungus is cultivated on a substrate of

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, e ...

leaf litter Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that have fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituen ...

, dry dung, and dead grass. These are plastered with

cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...

where they are obtained, which facilitates diurnal foraging. ''Odontotermes'' species are major contributors to litter decomposition. The fungus '' Termitomyces reticulatus'' is found in association with '' O. badius'' and '' O. transvaalensis'' in Africa.

Species

Species include: * '' Odontotermes assmuthi'' Holmgren, 1913 – South Asia * '' Odontotermes badius'' (Haviland, 1898) – Africa * '' Odontotermes ceylonicus'' (Wasmann, 1902) – South Asia * '' Odontotermes escherichi'' Holmgren, 1911 – South Asia * '' Odontotermes feae'' (Wasmann, 1896) – South Asia * '' Odontotermes formosanus'' (Shiraki) – South Asia * '' Odontotermes globicola'' (Wasmann, 1902) – South Asia * ''

Odontotermes horni ''Odontotermes horni'', is a species of termite of the genus ''Odontotermes''. It is native to India and Sri Lanka. It attacks many dead, decaying trees and fertilized soil. Though nests on ground, they do not construct a termitaria. It is a pes ...

'' (Wasmann, 1902) – South Asia * '' Odontotermes koenigi'' (Desneux, 1906) – South Asia * '' Odontotermes latericius'' (Haviland, 1898) – Africa * ''

Odontotermes obesus ''Odontotermes obesus'' is a species of termite in the family Termitidae. It is native to tropical southwestern Asia. This termite cultivates a symbiotic fungus in a special chamber in the nest. Workers gather vegetable detritus which they brin ...

'' (Rambur) – South Asia * '' Odontotermes preliminaris'' (Holmgren, 1911) – South Asia * '' Odontotermes redemanni'' (Wasmann, 1893) – South Asia * '' Odontotermes taprobanes'' (Walker, 1853) – South Asia * ''

Odontotermes transvaalensis ''Odontotermes'', commonly known as the fungus-growing termites, is a termite genus belonging to family Termitidae, which is native to the Old World. They are most destructive in wooden homes, and are agricultural pests in the tropics and subtro ...

'' (Sjöstedt, 1902) – Africa * '' Odontotermes wallonensis'' Wasmann – South Asia

Gallery

Odontotermes badius, werkerkaste, Pretoria, a.jpg, ''O. badius'' worker Odontotermes badius, sement op boombas, Waterberg.jpg, Cement plastered over tree bark Odontotermes badius, werkerkaste, Skeerpoort, b.jpg, Workers foraging on tree bark under cement Odontotermes badius, in oop ventilasietonnel, Skeerpoort, e.jpg, Workers in ventilation tunnel

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16613209 Termite genera Insects of Africa Insects of Asia Insect pests of millets