Taxonomy, Distribution, and Notes on the Termites (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae) of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

Scheffrahn, Rudolf H.; Jones, Susan C.; Krecek, Jan; Chase, James A.; Mangold, John R.; Su, Nan‐Yao

doi:10.1603/0013-8746(2003)096[0181:tdanot]2.0.co;2

Cited by 37 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Cryptotermes havilandi comes from tropical West Africa and spread (all dates unknown) to Fernando Pó Island and westward to the Caribbean Islands (Antigua, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Little Tobago, Saint Croix, and Saint Thomas) (102,103), Guiana (Kartabo), Surinam (Paramaribo), and Brazil (Santos and Guaratuba) (23). It also spread eastward to Tanzania, to islands in the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Comoro, and Europa), and to India and Bangladesh (13,77) (Figure 3).…”

Section: Kalotermitidaementioning

confidence: 99%

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Biology of Invasive Termites: A Worldwide Review

Evans

Forschler²,

Grace

2013

Annu. Rev. Entomol.

253

214

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The number of recognized invasive termite species has increased from 17 in 1969 to 28 today. Fourteen species have been added to the list in the past 44 years; 10 have larger distributions and 4 have no reported change in distribution, and 3 species are no longer considered invasive. Although most research has focused on invasive termites in urban areas, molecular identification methods have answered questions about certain species and found that at least six species have invaded natural forest habitats. All invasive species share three characteristics that together increase the probability of creating viable propagules: they eat wood, nest in food, and easily generate secondary reproductives. These characteristics are most common in two families, the Kalotermitidae and Rhinotermitidae (which make up 21 species on the invasive termite list), particularly in three genera, Cryptotermes, Heterotermes, and Coptotermes (which together make up 16 species). Although it is the largest termite family, the Termitidae (comprising 70% of all termite species) have only two invasive species, because relatively few species have these characteristics. Islands have double the number of invasive species that continents do, with islands in the South Pacific the most invaded geographical region. Most invasive species originate from Southeast Asia. The standard control methods normally used against native pest termites are also employed against invasive termites; only two eradication attempts, in South Africa and New Zealand, appear to have been successful, both against Coptotermes species.

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Section: Kalotermitidaementioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has a disjunct distribution in the Caribbean Islands: Hispaniola and Puerto Rico; Guadeloupe, Saint Croix, and Saint Thomas (102); and now New Providence and South Andros Island (∼2002). This distribution may suggest human transport, which has been observed in shipments of firewood entering Barbados from British Guyana (39).…”

Section: Termitidaementioning

confidence: 99%

Biology of Invasive Termites: A Worldwide Review

Evans

Forschler²,

Grace

2013

Annu. Rev. Entomol.

253

214

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“…The extant fauna is rather well surveyed for the Caribbean (Roisin et al, 1996;Scheffrahn and Křeček, 1993;Scheffrahn et al, 1994;Scheffrahn and Roisin, 1995;Scheffrahn et al, 1998Scheffrahn et al, , 2003Scheffrahn et al, , 2006Snyder, 1956). The paleofauna preserved in Dominican amber, however, is undoubtedly a fraction of the entire paleofauna from Hispaniola.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diverse Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae (Isoptera) in Dominican Amber

Krishna¹,

Grimaldi²

2009

American Museum Novitates

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The most diverse and best-preserved paleofauna of the higher termites heretofore known, all found in Miocene amber of the Dominican Republic, is described. The imago of Coptotermes priscus Emerson is redescribed, and the soldier of C. priscus, the first known fossil soldier of this genus, is described. The fauna includes the following 29 new species, all in existing genera, with Krishna and Grimaldi as authors of each: in the Rhinotermitidae, two new species based on imagoes of each-Coptotermes hirsutus and C. paleodominicanus; in the Termitidae, 23 new species based on imagoes-Amitermes lucidus, Anoplotermes bohio, A. cacique, A. carib, A. maboya, A. naboria, A. nitaino, A. quisqueya, A. taino, Atlantitermes antillea, A. caribea, A. magnoculus, Microcerotermes insulanus, M. setosus, Nasutitermes amplioculatus, N. incisus, N. magnocellus, N. medioculatus, N. pilosus, N. seminudus, Subulitermes hispaniola, S. insularis, and Termes primitivus; in the Nasutitermitinae four new species based on nasute soldiers-Caribitermes hispaniola, Nasutitermes rotundicephalus, Parvitermes longinasus, and Velocitermes bulbus. This brings the total termite fauna in Dominican amber to four families, 17 genera, and 39 species, a number that exceeds that of the present-day fauna of Hispaniola. Biogeographical, paleoecological, and phylogenetic implications of the Dominican amber termites are discussed.

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“…In recent years, termite diversity surveys in the Caribbean region (Scheffrahn and Křeček 1999;Scheffrahn et al 1990Scheffrahn et al , 2003aScheffrahn et al , b, 2005aScheffrahn et al , 2006) yielded only C. brevis from structural lumber or furniture that was protected from precipitation or other sources of free water and from hot direct sunshine. Records from the University of Florida termite collection, which specializes in termites of the Caribbean basin but has worldwide holdings, include approximately 11,500 samples of Kalotermitidae of which 761 were collected from structures and the remainder from outdoor habitats (urban to pristine).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Endemic origin and vast anthropogenic dispersal of the West Indian drywood termite

et al. 2008

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Cryptotermes brevis is a common pest of structural lumber and sheltered wood in much of the non-Asian tropics. Until now, no endemic locality, as confirmed by regenerating outdoor populations, was known. A termite survey of the northern coastal desert of Chile and the vicinity of Lima, Peru, yielded 61 outdoor populations of C. brevis taken from 23 different native and exotic species of host woods at 19 localities. We review the taxonomic and biogeographic history of C. brevis and suggest climatic and biological factors that favor or limit C. brevis distribution. We also propose a scenario implicating a post-Colombian release of C. brevis by shipboard infestations and the movement of infested wood during the early Spanish Empire to the present time.

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Taxonomy, Distribution, and Notes on the Termites (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae) of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

Cited by 37 publications

References 36 publications

Biology of Invasive Termites: A Worldwide Review

Biology of Invasive Termites: A Worldwide Review

Diverse Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae (Isoptera) in Dominican Amber

Endemic origin and vast anthropogenic dispersal of the West Indian drywood termite

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