The sugarcane termite (Odontotermes assmuthi) is a species of termite of the genus Odontotermes. It is native to India and Sri Lanka. It is recorded from coconut palms and is a pest of sugarcane.[1]
| Sugarcane termite | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Blattodea |
| Infraorder: | Isoptera |
| Family: | Termitidae |
| Genus: | Odontotermes |
| Species: | O. assmuthi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Odontotermes assmuthi Holmgren, 1913
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Description
editGeneral body color is creamy with darker head. Workers can be seen foraging in both morning and evening.[2]
It is a major pest of sugar cane, where attacked canes can be wilted and then dieback occurs. Semi-circular feeding marks on the leaves are characteristic marks left by the termite. Aspergillus flavus known to have termiticidal activity against O. assmuthi.[3]
References
edit- ^ "An annotated checklist of termites (Isoptera) from Sri Lanka". National Science Foundation. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
- ^ "Odontotermes assmuthi Holmgren, 1913; Common Name: Sugarcane Termites". ICAR-NBAIR. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
- ^ "Termites in sugarcane". Agropedia. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
External links
edit- Kushwaha, K. S. (1 September 1961). "Chaetotaxy of the termite,odontotermes assmuthi Holmgren (Isoptera: Termitidae)". Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences. 54 (3): 130–137. doi:10.1007/BF03051896. S2CID 82471750.
- Basalingappa, S (1982). "Degeneration of thoracic muscles in sexual forms of Odontotermes assmuthi Holmgren (Termitidae : Isoptera) following swarming and colony establishment". Entomon. 7 (1): 63–64.
- Manzoor, F.; Akhtar, M. S. (2002). "Morphometric variations in termite Odontotermes assmuthi Holmgren" (PDF). Punjab University Journal of Zoology. 17: 162–173.
- Saha, Nivedita; Mazumdar, Prahlad C.; Basak, Jayati; Raha, Angshuman; Majumder, Amitava; Chandra, Kailash (26 March 2016). "Subterranian [sic] termite genus Odontotermes (Blattaria: Isoptera: Termitidae) from Chhattisgarh, India with its annotated checklist and revised key". Journal of Threatened Taxa. 8 (3): 8602–8610. doi:10.11609/jott.2654.8.3.8602-8610.
- Basalingappa, S; Badami, R C; Kudari, S M (June 1972). "The gross fatty acid composition of the body fat from the termite (Odontotermes assmuthi) queen". Biochemical Journal. 128 (1): 44P–45P. doi:10.1042/bj1280044pc. PMC 1173679. PMID 5085612.
- Basalingappa, S.; Hegde, S. N. (July 1974). "The probable significance of the differential occurrence of protein in various castes of the termite Odontotermes assmuthi (Isoptera: Termitidae)". Experientia. 30 (7): 758–759. doi:10.1007/BF01924169. PMID 4847657. S2CID 22905268.
- Thakur, M. L. (1978). "New Observations on the Swarming Behaviour in Nature in Odontotermes assmuthi Holmgren (Isoptera: Termitidae)". Indian Forester. 104 (9): 638.