''Coptotermes heimi'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

termite Termites are a group of detritivore, detritophagous Eusociality, eusocial cockroaches which consume a variety of Detritus, decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, Plant litter, leaf litter, and Humus, soil humus. They are dist ...

in the family

Heterotermitidae Heterotermitidae, or the subterranean termites, is a family of termites that was elevated to family level from the subfamily '' Heterotermitinae'', formerly nested in ''Rhinotermitidae Rhinotermitidae, sensu novo are a family (biology), family ...

. It is found in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and lives wholly underground.

Distribution and habitat

''Coptotermes heimi'' occurs in Pakistan, the Indian states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, and in Bangladesh. It is a serious pest in both agricultural and urban areas, but being a subterranean termite, its presence is not always apparent. Besides attacking logs and structural timbers, it can attack living trees, hollowing out the centre.

Ecology

''Coptotermes heimi'' make subterranean tunnels in order to forage for suitable food sources. If the surface soil is either too hot or too cold, the termites move deeper into the soil, but when conditions are equable, the foraging tunnels are about beneath the surface. The direction in which the termites dig the tunnels is influenced by the humidity of the soil, and the presence of rotten wood also acts as an attractant. Many termites work together to dig the tunnels, each individual carrying a single mouthful of soil. Similarly, when a food source is found, each termite carries a mouthful of food along the pre-existing tunnel back to the nest. The termites feed on the bark and soft parts around the base of trees, and the stems of sugarcane. The ground-dwelling assassin bug ''

Acanthaspis quinquespinosa ''Acanthaspis quinquespinosa'' is a species of Reduviidae, assassin bug found in India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal and Tibet. It is a predator, and both nymphs and adults feed on termites, beetles, caterpillars and other insect prey. Description ...

'' is a voracious predator of ''Coptotermes heimi''. When the termites are numerous, each assassin bug can kill forty termites a day. Termites feed on wood and wood product, relying on micro-organisms in their gut to digest the

cellulose Cellulose is an organic compound with the chemical formula, formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of glycosidic bond, β(1→4) linked glucose, D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important s ...

. In feeding trials, it was found that ''Coptotermes heimi'' preferentially fed on '' Populus euramericana'' when it was available and only consumed '' Syzygium cumini'' when no other woods were available. Intermediate between these were in decreasing order of choice; '' Ailanthus excelsa'', ''

Azadirachta indica ''Azadirachta indica'', commonly known as neem, margosa, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of the two species in the genus ''Azadirachta''. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and to parts of Sout ...

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Pinus roxburghii ''Pinus roxburghii'', commonly known as chir pine or longleaf Indian pine, is a species of pine tree Native plant, native to the Himalayas. It was named after William Roxburgh. Description ''Pinus roxburghii'' is a large tree reaching with a ...

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Butea monosperma ''Butea monosperma'' is a species of '' Butea'' native to tropical and sub-tropical parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is also known as flame of the forest, Bengal kino, dhak, palash, and bastard teak. Revered as sacred by Hindus, it is ...

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Morus alba Morus may refer to: People * Alexander Morus (1616–1670), Franco-Scottish Protestant preacher * Henryk Moruś (1943–2013), Polish serial killer * Huw Morus (1622–1709), Welsh poet * Thomas More or Morus (1478–1535), English philosopher * M ...

'', '' Bauhinia variegata'', '' Albizia lebbeck'', ''

Dalbergia sissoo ''Dalbergia sissoo'', known commonly as North Indian rosewood or shisham, is a fast-growing, hardy, deciduous rosewood tree native to the Indian subcontinent and southern Iran. ''D. sissoo'' is a large, crooked tree with long, leathery leaves a ...

'', '' Heterophragma adenophyllum'', '' Erythrina suberosa'', ''

Cassia fistula ''Cassia fistula'', also known as golden shower, purging cassia, Indian laburnum, kani konna, or pudding-pipe tree,U. S. Department of Agriculture, William Saunders; Catalogue of Economic Plants in the Collection of the U. S. Department of Agric ...

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Tectona grandis Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panic ...

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Mangifera indica ''Mangifera indica'', commonly known as mango, is an evergreen species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is a large fruit tree, capable of growing to a height and width of . There are two distinct genetic populations in modern m ...

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Eucalyptus camaldulensis ''Eucalyptus camaldulensis'', commonly known as river red gum, is a flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, and is Endemism, endemic to Australia. It is a tree with smooth white or cream-coloured bark, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flow ...

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Jacaranda mimosifolia ''Jacaranda mimosifolia'' is a sub-tropical tree native to south-central South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its attractive and long-lasting Violet (color), violet-colored flowers. It is also known as the jacaranda, b ...

'' and ''

Bambusa bambos ''Bambusa bambos'', (synonym Gigantichloa maxima) the giant thorny bamboo, Indian thorny bamboo, spiny bamboo, or thorny bamboo (but see '' Bambusa spinosa'') is a species of clumping bamboo native to southern Asia (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka ...

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References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q101987257 Insects of Pakistan Termites Insects of India