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Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 4/20/2007 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Termites are a worldwide group of insects well known for their ability to cause damage to timber and to man-made wooden structures. Although the species found in the United States are well known, much less is known about tropical species, especially those found in rainforests of South America. This paper describes three new species recently discovered in Peru. These species may function importantly in the recycling of nutrients required for new plant growth in an important natural ecosystem. Those to benefit from this information include termite researchers in systematics and ecology, U. S. Forest Service, and APHIS/PPQ. Technical Abstract: Three new species of termites collected in the understory of rainforests of northern Peru are described and figured and identification keys are provided to separate the known species. The species in this paper are humivorous species not likely to be economically important. |
