TDRI Tropical Pest Bulletin 7: A taxonomic and biometric study of the genus Cryptotermes (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae)

The economically important genus Cryptotermes of the family Kalotermitidae is revised. An account is given of the habits, importance of accurate identification, purpose of numerical methods, geographical distribution of the species and a history of the genus. The external morphology of 34 species (excluding those endemic to Australia) are illustrated. The biology and comparisons of the species are outlined in general and keys are provided to imago and soldier castes and for eight species of the alate nymph 2. Five species are new to science while two species are reinstated from synonymy; one species is regarded as a junior synonym. All available types were examined and appropriate lectotypes designated. The relationships of 24 species (based on 268 individuals and 16 characters) of the imago caste, 24 species (354 individuals and 18 characters) of the soldier caste, and 11 species (131 individuals and 21 characters) of the alate nymph 2, were investigated by three numerical methods. These include principal component analysis, canonical variate analysis and cluster analysis. The results of the analyses are in broad agreement, but differ somewhat in detail. Overall, none of the methods produced a convincing classification to suggest that the genus is other than homogeneous. There is no justification for attempting to isolate any"one of them. Heavily weighted morphometric characters derived from ordination were used in the diagnostic keys of the imago, soldier and alate nymph 2