Foraging activity of the processional termiteHospitalitermes hospitalis (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) in the rain forest of Brunei,north-west Borneo

Summary Four colonies of the column-forming termiteHospitalitermes hospitalis (Haviland) were studied in a primary forest in Brunei Darussalam, north-west Borneo, and their trails mapped. The termites leave their nest in the afternoon to graze throughout the night, mainly on lichens growing high up on the trunk of a canopy tree. Colonies foraged from 46% to 72% of nights, and the mean and maximum trail length was 28.8 m and 65.2 m respectively. Each colony utilized between 14 and 26 trees, with many trees revisited and trails frequently re-used. The mean diameter of the utilized trees was significantly larger than the mean diameter of trees in the population at the study site. Termites often made consecutive foraging visits to the largest trees, particularlyShorea spp. At three colonies per hectare the nest density is lower than expected as more than 90% of potentially suitable trees are not exploited.