& Fontes, 2002). Termite infestations have become increasingly more frequent inside the urban perimeter. In tropical countries and coastal regions of continents, Harris (1971) reports infestations caused mainly by Reticulitermes spp. (Europe and United States), Coptotermes spp. (Australia, Asia and part of Africa) and Cryptotermes spp. (Colombia, and the vast majority of South American countries). In South America the infestations are caused mainly by Coptotermes gestroi
The variation in altitude drives the richness and density of species in tropical ecosystems. The diversity and richness of termites are influenced by the variations in temperature, humidity, and soil properties according to altitude elevation. This is well known for rainy forests and little information is found for semiarid areas of Brazil. In this study, we aimed to identify species richness and encounters density of termites in a hill inserted in the Caatinga Brazilian forest. We found variation in the composition of species as a function of altitude (in a comparison of top and foot of the hill) and in periods of the wet and dry, with an increase in the season wet. The increase the diversity in this period and altitude elevations can be explained by the increases in humidity after rainfalls and maintenance of temperature enabled by the conditions in the hill’s top. Our findings provide valuable information regarding termite diversity in semiarid areas as a function of elevation and contribute to other studies that are expanding our understanding of how elevation can affect these organisms.
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