Species Tumulitermes westraliensis (Hill, 1921)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Eutermes westraliensis Hill, G.F. 1921. New and rare Australian termites, with notes on their biology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 46: 433-456 pl. xxxvi [454].

  Type data:

   Lectotype NMV No. T-10884 soldier (Hill, G.F. 1942. Termites (Isoptera) from the Australian Region. Melbourne : Council for Scientific and Industrial Research 479 pp. 24 pls. [279] referred to the 'Holotype winged adult and morphotype soldier and worker in National Museum, Melbourne'. This constitutes a lectotype designation. However, the original description was based on soldier and worker castes only, the alate being described in Hill, G.F. 1925. Termites from the Australian region: descriptions of new species and hitherto undescribed castes. Proc. R. Soc. Vict. ns 37: 206–229 pls xxiii–xxvi [217]. The designation of an alate as lectotype was, therefore, invalid), Gosnells, WA.
  Paralectotype(s) NMV worker (morphotype).

  Subsequent designation references:

  Hill, G.F. 1925. Termites from the Australian region: descriptions of new species and hitherto undescribed castes. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria ns 37: 206-229 pls xxiii-xxvi; Hill, G.F. 1942. Termites (Isoptera) from the Australian Region. Melbourne : Council for Scientific and Industrial Research 479 pp. 24 pls.; 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

Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

N to about 29ºN, one record from Giles.

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, nests in mounds, diet dry grass, plant detritus.

 

General References

Hill, G.F. 1942. Termites (Isoptera) from the Australian Region. Melbourne : Council for Scientific and Industrial Research 479 pp. 24 pls. [279] (biology)

Kovoor, J. 1969. Anatomie comparée du tube digestif des termites. II. Sous-famille des Nasutitermitinae. Insectes Sociaux 3: 195-234 (gut structure)

Watson, J.A.L. & Abbey, H.M. 1993. Atlas of Australian Termites. Melbourne & Canberra : Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 158 pp. [148] (distribution)

 

History of changes

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