The termite Macrotermes gilvus malayanus in Burma
Roonwal, M.L.; Chotanl, O.B.
Proceedings Natl Fast Science India Part B Biol Science 27(5): 308-316
1961
Accession: 025953564
Macrotermes gilvus is a common mound-building termite in South-East Asia, but was hitherto not known from Burma and further west (i. e. India). The present record from Rangoon is the first one from Burma. These specimens belong to the subsp. M. g. malayanus. Brief descriptions of the soldiers (major and minor), workers (major and minor), dealate male (king), female (physogastric queen), eggs and nymphs are given. The mounds are quite common in Rangoon University campus and are made of brownish earth. They are irregularly dome-shaped to subconical, with a maximum height of about 90-120 cm and a basal diameter of about 100-200 cm. Two royal chambers were found in the mound examined[long dash]a functional one (with a king and a queen) and a deserted one. Each royal chamber is an irregular, flat mass of earth, with a more or less spindle-shaped central royal cell. The fungus combs are irregularly-shaped masses of greyish color and have a cellular structure.