Reporting first time Heterotermes indicola (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) from Delhi

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1
National Fellow ICAR (e mail: gagan_gk@rediffmail.com),
2
Research Associate (e mail: sk29jan@gmail.com), Division of
Entomology
Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 83 (4): 459–62, April 2013/Short Communication
First report of a commonly prevalent termite Heterotermes indicola
from Delhi region
G K MAHAPATRO
1
and SACHIN KUMAR
2
Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012
Received: 24 May 2012; Revised accepted: 5 February 2013
Key words: Delhi, Heterotermes indicola, Microtermes, Odontotermes, Termites
Termite fauna of Delhi is poorly known. Pruthi (1939) is
the pioneer to work on Delhi termites and recorded three
species of termites. Later on Vishnoi (1957; 1962) reported
seven species from various parts of Delhi. According to
Thakur (2007) fourteen species of termites are known from
Delhi. He listed 12 species under family Termitidae, one
each from Kalotermitidae and Rhinotermitidae. Coptotermes
heimi is the important structural termite reported under the
last family. Another structural pest Heterotermes indicola
was not reported by anyone in Delhi till-date. Under the
National Fellow project, termite species were collected and
efforts were directed to identify them. In earlier year (2009)
we reported Odontotermes bellahunisensis Holmgren &
Holmgren damaging seriously the rose plants in the poly-
house of IARI farm. This paper deals with three more
identified termite species reported first time from Delhi
region. H. indicola (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) is the
significant report in this paper.
Heterotermes is a semi-relict genus and one of the cost-
effectively most important group of subterranean termites
and cosmo-tropical in distribution, reported from all the
zoogeographical regions except the Palaeartic region
(Emerson 1955). It is found both in humid tropics and arid
areas (Roonwal and Chhotani 1989). The obscure origin and
dispersal of this genus presents a puzzling problem. Emerson
(1955) believed that this genus might have originated in the
tropical Indo-Malayan region during the late Jurassic or
early Cretaceous period before the separation of Australian
and Indo-Malayan regions. Twenty six species of this genus
are known from the world out of which only four occur in
India (Roonwal and Chhotani 1989). It is a semi-relict genus
that indicates competitive reduction in numbers but still has
numerous species. They typically inhabit several major
regions, including Australia. Usually the numbers of species
do not indicate the region of origin, possibly because of
proportionately greater extinction of species in ancient areas
of abundance. Globally, though literature on taxonomic
aspects on termites is ample, in Indian situations the records
in urban areas are limited. Glaring example is the absence of
termite faunistic survey fact sheets in the IARI campus itself.
Though taxonomy is viewed by the industry as a theoretical
science with little applied value, the example of the Asian
subterranean termite (Coptotermes gestroi) provides one of
many clear-cut case of taxonomy’s impact on industry. More
examples can be seen by BioNet International (BioNET
International 2004) (Kirton 2005). Reporting H. indicola
first time from Delhi region, is a significant finding relevant
to the urban-pest-management sector.
The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) is the
study site. The location stands at 28.08°N and 77.12°E,
above mean sea level being 229 metres. The climate is sub-
temperate and semi-arid. The mean maximum daily
temperature during the hot weather (May-October) ranges
from 32.2°C to 40°C and the mean minimum temperature
from 12.2°C to 27.5°C. June to September is rainy months
during which about 500 mm of rainfall is received. The mean
maximum temperature during winter (November-March)
ranges from 20.1°C to 29.1°C and the mean minimum
temperature from 5.6°C to 12.7°C. During winter, a small
amount of rainfall (about 63 mm) is received. The campus of
IARI is a self-contained aesthetically laid out complex spread
over an area of about 500 ha. The beautiful clock-towered
building of the Central Library of the Institute constitutes the
focal point of the campus around which stand the laboratory
buildings of various Divisions, staff quarters, students’ hostels,
guest houses, a medical dispensary and schools for boys and
girls. The experimental fields, which form an integral part of
the IARI campus, cover an area of about 340 ha, of which
about 300 ha is irrigated by an interlinked chain of tubewells
and water storage tanks, while the remainder is used for
dryland farming research experiments. As the institute is on
the lap of Aravali Hill Range, a termite-prone zone, IARI

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Table 1 Biometric measurement of Heterotermes indicola soldiers
Body-Parts Range Mean±SD
I. General
Total body length 4.05-4.89 4.46±0.58
II. Head
Head-length with mandibles 2.21-2.51 2.39±0.11
Head-length to lateral base of 1.42-1.79 1.63±0.14
mandibles
Maximum width of head 0.91-1.00 0.95±0.03
Length of mandibles
(a) Left mandible 0.80-0.93 0.86±0.05
(b) Right mandible 0.79-0.90 0.84±0.05
III Thorax
Length of Pronotum 0.49-0.52 0.50±0.01
Width of Pronotum 0.75-0.85 0.79±0.03
Length of Postmentum 1.16-1.44 1.33±0.10
Width of Postmentum 0.38-0.47 0.42±0.03
Figures are mean of 10 termite specimens
MAHAPATRO AND KUMAR
confronts with this tough task of termites both in the indoors
and outdoors.
Termite samples were collected from various localities
in IARI and some other places of Delhi. Specimens
were preserved in 80% ethyl-alcohol and studied under
stereoscopic binocular microscope. Termites were identified
using external morphology of the soldier caste
(Roonwal 1970a).The important characteristics used for
identification were - shape and size of the head, labrum,
mandibles, pronotum, postmentum and position of the tooth
and antennal segments etc. Determination of species was
based on the keys (Roonwal and Chhotani 1989, Chhotani
1997 and Thakur 1981). Biometric data and images of the
specimens were taken with the help of MV 600UA Digital
USB microscope.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In toto, 76 termite samples were collected from various
parts of IARI campus by extensive field and structural
inspections. Termite workers and soldiers of H. indicola
were observed and collected during a structural inspection at
store room of Division of Entomology, IARI, New Delhi in
May 2012 (Fig. 1). The morphometric measures for H.
indicola soldier caste was presented (Table 1).
We identified following species: Odontotermes
bellahunisensis Holmgren & Holmgren, O. obesus (Rambur),
O. redemanni (Wasmann), Microtermes obesi Holmgren, M.
mycophagus Desneux, Heterotermes indicola (Wasmann).
We surveyed IARI (Delhi) campus extensively, and
recorded first time Heterotermes indicola. Wasmann (1902)
recorded this species first time from Bombay (India) and
named Leucotermes indicola. Later Snyder (1949) termed it
Heterotermes indicola. This species also recorded earlier by
various workers from various parts of the country apart from
Delhi (Roonwal 1955, 1970b, Roonwal and Chhotani 1967,
Sen-Sarma et al. 1975, Roonwal and Rathore 1977, Roonwal
and Verma 1977, Chhotani and Bose 1979, Sen-Sarma and
Thakur 1980, Chhotani 1985, Thakur 2009). Recently, junior
author of this paper has collected this species from various
localities of Haryana, ie Loharu and Sagbankheri village,
Bhiwani; Rajeev chock near bus stand, Gurgaon; CCS
Agricultural University Campus, Hisar; Ateli Railway Station,
Mahendragarh; Israna, Panipat; Tikaram College Campus
and Kundli village, Sonipat; and identified under the able
guidance of Dr R K Thakur, Termite Expert, Forest Research
Institute, Dehradun (Kumar 2010).
Nature of damage: This species causes extensive
damage to wooden structures in house in northern India
and is also reported to destroy papers, clothes and stored
products of cellulosic nature. The infestation in house can be
made out from the galleries running on walls and ceiling to
reach wooden structures (Roonwal and Chhotani 1989).
Damage by the H. indicola generally runs along the wood
Fig. 1 Heterotermes indicola (Wasmann) a) Soldier b) Worker caste
c) damaged wood-surface
Fig. 2 Termite infested wooden box (characteristic hanging mud
tubes)

461April 2013] REPORTING H. INDICOLA FROM DELHI REGION
grains. The termite eats up the softer wood, leaving the
harder parts as thin partition walls which are plastered with
excrement. The wood is hollowed out only leaving outer
cover. Though it is attacking wood, always has connection
with the ground soil where it breeds. Latest, Biswas and
Mukhopadhyay (2010) reported aberrant behavior of H.
indicola in constructing hanging food tunnels in West Bengal
region. We recorded this aberrant hanging food mud tubes in
wooden box severely infested in the store house of
Entomology Division. The wood is hollowed out only leaving
outer cover (Fig 2). A serious infestation of a three-storeyed
residential building in Paschim Vihar is also recorded (Dr B
Paul, pers. comm.).
Heterotermes indicola is well known as a pest in the
household, nevertheless its pest status in agricultural crops
was also recorded decades back. Roonwal (1982) reported it
as a pest of bitter gourd Momordica charantia in the arid
zone – Indian desert. Roonwal (1979) also reported it as a
pest of Mulberry sp. and from several forest trees. He ranked
it most destructive termite depending upon its damage
propensity. Salihah et al. (1988) reported this termite as a
pest of sugarcane in Pakistan.
Damage to human habitations by termites varies in its
impact. When buildings are built of timber, their structure
can sometimes be severely compromised. In what may be
the most extreme example of damage by termites, an entire
township in India was gradually destroyed by the termite, H.
indicola, and eventually resembled a bombed-out ghost town
(Roonwal, 1955, 1970b). The entire town of Sri Hargobindpur,
Punjab was abandoned in 1940s, because of pervasive damage
by this species.
The study site comes under the Aravali Range. This is a
range of mountains in western India and eastern
Pakistan running approximately 800 km from northeast to
southwest across states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and
Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh. The northern end
of the range continues as isolated hills and rocky ridges into
Haryana state, ending in Delhi. The famous Delhi Ridge is
the last leg of the Aravalli Range, which traverses through
South Delhi and terminates into Central Delhi where Raisina
hill is its last extension. It is one of the world’s oldest
mountain ranges. It dates back to pre-Indian sub-continental
collision with the mainland Asiatic Plate (http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki).
The place of origin of Heterotermes is obscure. All the
genera of the Rhinotermitidae are clearly extensions from
Indo-Malayan during the early Cretaceous. All except
Heterotermes give numerical evidence of their Indo-Malayan
origin. The Indo-Malayan region has a larger proportion of
original dry and humid forest lands than any other tropical
region, and this fact together with the modification by dense
populations of humans has doubtless influenced its known
termite fauna. Heterotermes genus is presumed to have arisen
before the Cretaceous separation of Australia from Indo-
Malaya. One might expect some records from central and
southern Africa and possibly also from Madagascar. The
exclusion of this genus from the major portion of the Ethiopian
region seems difficult to explain, except by competition with
an ecological equivalent. Psammotermes (sand termites) in
is mutually exclusive but is restricted to dry areas, while
Heterotermes may live in rain-forests.
Finally as on today, seventeen species of termite are
known from Delhi region. The identification of H. indicola
from Delhi region is of particular importance, especially
because it is a major structural pest and control strategies
may be taken with appropriate care. Reporting first time a
commonly prevalent termite Heterotermes indicola is
certainly a significant finding relevant to the urban-pest-
management sector. It is probable that several more
undescribed and new termite species remain to be discovered
in Delhi region considering the centralized location, diversity
of habitat, and the zoogeographical extent of the current
survey.
SUMMARY
Termites are most common in Delhi region, but are
known poorly species-wise. Pruthi (1939) is the pioneer to
work on termites in Delhi and recorded 3-species. Later on
Vishnoi (1957, 1962) reported 7-species from various parts
of Delhi. According to Thakur (2007) fourteen species of
termites are known from Delhi. In 2009, we identified
Odontotermes bellahunisensis Holmgren & Holmgren from
IARI Rose Poly-house, and this year we identified five more
species, viz. Odontotermes obesus (Rambur), O. redemanni
(Wasmann), Microtermes obesi Holmgren, M. mycophagus
Desneux and Heterotermes indicola (Wasmann). Thus the
termites in Delhi region list goes to seventeen after Thakur
(2007). Three new additions to the list are O. bellahunisensis,
O. redemanni and H. indicola. The last one, despite its
significant history of devastating an entire village in Punjab
in 1940-50s, lack of any record of this species in Delhi
region till-date, clearly implies a glaring gap of relevant
research activities on termites in our national capital region.
Our investigation initiated the break in this gap, reported H.
indicola with its morphometric studies of soldier caste. The
species taxonomy and zoogeographical-distribution is
discussed in this paper.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Authors are thankful to the funding agency ICAR for the
sanctioned National Fellow Project, Environmentally
Sustainable Termite Control: Integrative & Inclusive
Approach of Frontier and Indigenous Technologies.
Logistic supports provided by Director, IARI is
gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are also due to Dr V V
Ramamurthy (PS, Insect-Identification-Service) for
identification of Odontotermes bellahunisensis Holmgren &
Holmgren.
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