Species Amitermes heterognathus (Silvestri, 1909)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Hamitermes heterognathus Silvestri, F. 1909. Isoptera. 279-314 pls xvi-xxi in Michaelsen, W. & Hartmeyer, R. (eds). Die Fauna Südwest-Australiens. Jena : G. Fischer Vol. 2. [301] [Silvestri did not indicate how many specimens he had before him, nor did he designate types. Weidner, H. 1955. Die Typen der Isoptera-Sammlung des Zoologischen Staatsinstituts und Zoologischen Museums Hamburg. Insectes Sociaux 2: 247–254 [249] mentioned 'Hamitermes (?) heterognathus, Sold.', which could be singular or plural, among the termite types in ZMH, and 'Auf dem Determinationszettel als "Type" bezeichnet' (actually 'Typus'). This cannot be interpreted as an unambiguous lectotype designation. Gay, F.J. 1968. A contribution to the systematics of the genus Amitermes (Isoptera: Termitidae) in Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 16: 405–457 [427] mentioned the 'type (=holotype) soldier' in ZMH, which constitutes the lectotype designation].

  Type data:

   Lectotype ZMH soldier, Daydawn (as Day Dawn), WA (the label with the type indicates Serpentine as the type locality; the known distribution of this species also suggests that Daydawn may be incorrect).

  Subsequent designation references:

  Gay, F.J. 1968. A contribution to the systematics of the genus Amitermes (Isoptera: Termitidae) in Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 16: 405-457 [427].

  Type locality references:

  Weidner, H. 1955. Die Typen der Isoptera-Sammlung des Zoologischen Staatsinstituts und Zoologischen Museums Hamburg. Insectes Sociaux 2: 247-254 [249].

 

Distribution

States

Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

drainage basins and coastal and oceanic zones

IBRA

WA: Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Carnarvon (CAR), Coolgardie (COO), Central Ranges (CR), Dampierland (DL), Esperance Plains (ESP), Gascoyne (GAS), Gibson Desert (GD), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Great Sandy Desert (GSD), Great Victoria Desert (GVD), Hampton (HAM), Jarrah Forest (JF), Little Sandy Desert (LSD), Mallee (MAL), Murchison (MUR), Nullarbor (NUL), Pilbara (PIL), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tanami (TAN), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Western Australia: NW coastal, SW coastal, W plateau

Ecological Descriptors

Soil dweller, terrestrial.

Extra Ecological Information

Social, nest unknown, apparently subterranean, diet primarily weathered wood, also plant detritus, dry dung.

 

General References

Gay, F.J. 1968. A contribution to the systematics of the genus Amitermes (Isoptera: Termitidae) in Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 16: 405-457 [426] (biology)

Perry, D.H., Watson, J.A.L., Bunn, S.E. & Black, R. 1985. Guide to the termites (Isoptera) from the extreme south-west of Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 67: 66-78 [74] (biology)

Watson, J.A.L. & Abbey, H.M. 1993. Atlas of Australian Termites. Melbourne & Canberra : Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 158 pp. [60] (distribution)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
		12-Feb-2010	(import)