NUMBERS AND BIOMASS OF MOUND-BUILDING TERMITES (ISOPTERA) IN A SEMIARID TROPICAL WOODLAND NEAR CHARTERS TOWERS, NORTH QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

The numbers and biomass of the four dominant mound-building termite species on red and yellow earth soils in a semi-arid tropical woodland near Charters Towers, north Queensland, Australia have been estimated using the mark-recapture mound population estimates of Easey and Holt (1989) and mound density data. The density of mound- building termites was similar on both soils, 13-14x10(6)/ha-1. One species, Amitermes vitiosus (Hill), accounted for over 90% of the mound-building termite population on the red earth soil, and over 70% on the yellow earth soil. The estimated total mound-building termite biomass was approximately 47kg/ha-1 on the red earth and 50kg/ha-1 on the yellow earth.