Sampling and identification of termites in Northeastern Puducherry

Abstract

In the course of efforts to harness the lignin-degrading ability of termites in processing those portions of solid waste which resist composting/vermicomposting, a systematic survey of termite species present in a 210 acre region near the Puducherry coast has been carried out. In order to make the survey as representative as possible, transect as well as quadrat based methods were employed. It led to the spotting of ten species of termites belonging to eight genera and three families. The findings have been used to determine the species richness and abundance.