Activity of mound-building Macrotermes Bellicosus (Isoptera: Termitidae) around Kwara State University campus Guinea Savannah ecozone, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate Macrotermes bellicosus, nesting mounds, abundance and activity in the savannah ecological zone of Kwara State, North-Central, Nigeria. The research was conducted at four randomly selected villages around and including Kwara State University. A systematic survey of visible mounds of M. bellicosus was carried out over the entire study area. Also, the heights of mounds were measured using a measuring tape. M. bellicosus collection was conducted using baited traps consisting of cardboard, toilet tissue, wooden stakes and wood shaving. These were embedded or placed on ground within plots at a regular distance of 10 m and checked twice weekly. The samples collected per baited trap per plot per location were preserved in 90 % ethanol and identified. Similarly, survey of physically damaged items was conducted and recorded to observe termite activity. The result from the four different locations of the study showed that the number of M. bellicosus mounds in urban area was the highest in urban site (74.33 ± 5.93) and was significant when compared to the other locations. Farmland had the tallest M. bellicosus mound (17.3 cm) followed by uncultivated land mass (15 cm), while the least mean height (12 cm) was encountered at the urban area. The abundance and distribution of the M. bellicosus showed no significant difference when comparing the study locations except in urban site. Proper precautions on protection of the building and barns are recommended.

Keywords: Macrotermes bellicosus, Nesting mounds, Importance, Savannah ecological zone, Damage