Species Amitermes obeuntis (Silvestri, 1909)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Hamitermes obeuntis 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] [Hill, G.F. 1942. Termites (Isoptera) from the Australian Region. Melbourne : Council for Scientific and Industrial Research 479 pp. 24 pls. [341] commented that 'No information is available regarding the whereabouts of the holotype soldier and morphotype worker' of H. obeuntis. Silvestri, F. 1909. Isoptera. pp. 279–314 pls xvi–xxi in Michaelsen, W. & Hartmeyer, R. (eds). Die Fauna Südwest-Australiens. Vol. 2. Jena : Fischer . did not mention types and, as Hill did not identify a particular specimen, his comment cannot be regarded as a lectotype designation. Weidner, H. 1955. Die Typen der Isoptera-Sammlung des Zoologischen Staatsinstituts und Zoologischen Museums Hamburg. Insectes Sociaux 2: 247–254 [249] listed 'Königin, Sold., Arb.' of H. obeuntis among the type specimens of termites in the collections of the Zoologisches Institut und Zoologisches Museum der Universit„t, Hamburg; these were, therefore, syntypes. The relevant vial in ZMH contains a queen, not of a species of Amitermes, a soldier of what has long been regarded as A. obeuntis, plus a nymph and 12 workers, not all of A. obeuntis. There is also a label in A.E. Emerson's hand 'LECTOTYPE SOLDIER' (as symbol for \ma) 'Serpentine S.W. Australia. No. 131. Selected A. Emerson. 57'. The lectotype designation was not published].

  Type data:

   Lectotype ZMH soldier, Serpentine, WA.
  Paralectotype(s) ZMH nymph, workers (type colony).

  Subsequent designation references:

  Watson, J.A.L., Miller, L.R. & Abbey, H.M. 1998. Isoptera. pp. 163-250 in Houston, W.W.K. & Wells, A. (eds). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Archaeognatha, Zygentoma, Blattodea, Isoptera, Mantodea, Dermaptera, Phasmatodea, Embioptera, Zoraptera. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia Vol. 23 xiii 464 pp.

Distribution

States

South Australia, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Predominantly S WA.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

drainage basins and coastal and oceanic zones

IBRA

SA, WA: Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Carnarvon (CAR), Coolgardie (COO), Central Ranges (CR), Dampierland (DL), Esperance Plains (ESP), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Gascoyne (GAS), Gawler (GAW), 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
  • South Australia: W plateau
  • Western Australia: NW coastal, SW coastal, W plateau

Ecological Descriptors

Soil dweller, terrestrial.

Extra Ecological Information

Social, nests in mounds, diet primarily weathered wood.

General References

Hill, G.F. 1942. Termites (Isoptera) from the Australian Region. Melbourne : Council for Scientific and Industrial Research 479 pp. 24 pls. [340] (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 [74-75] (biology)

Watson, J.A.L. & Abbey, H.M. 1993. Atlas of Australian Termites. Melbourne & Canberra : Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 158 pp. [66] (distribution)

History of changes