GENERAL FACTS IN THE BIOLOGY OF PHILIPPINE 

 MOUND-BUILDING TERMITES 



By Leopoldo B. Uichanco 



Of the Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, University of 

 the Philippines, Los Banos 



FOUR PLATES 



The mound-building species of Philippine termites so far 

 known are all members of the genus Termes. They are common 

 in rural and suburban places; and in caingin fields they are 

 left undisturbed, although undoubtedly a menace to farming 

 operations, both because they are always in the way and because 

 they are prolific sources of severe anay * infestation. The tao 

 tolerates the nests, not because he is too lazy to dig them out, 

 but because a tradition current among Filipino peasants makes 

 the nuno 2 the regular occupant of the mound. The nuno is 

 a sort of wood-inhabiting spirit, believed to be normally invisi- 

 ble ; he, however, occasionally appears to us mortals in the form 

 of a small, unsightly, evil-looking old man, wearing a large 

 salacot. 3 His every desire is a wicked one. He takes pleasure 

 in causing human suffering; and to injure him, even though 

 accidentally, means sickness, and often death, to the offender. 



The termite mounds found in the Philippines do not reach 

 the proportions of those met with in some other countries. In 

 Australia, for example, termite mounds grow so large that they 

 often appear to the traveler to be huge earthen towers. Old 

 termite mounds in the Philippines very rarely reach a height 

 of two meters. They generally approach a round-topped, conical 

 shape, and are usually free from green vegetation, although 

 they are occasionally found covered all over with a thick mat 

 of cogon or low shrubbery. Sometimes a mound is built around 

 or against a large tree trunk, in which case its shape becomes 

 very irregular. The outer wall of the nest is remarkably com- 

 pact, considerable force being necessary to break it open with 

 a mattock. The main constituent of this wall is very fine clay, 



1 Local name for the termite, or white ant. 

 5 Tagalog for grandfather. 



* A native helmet, usually made of bamboo or palm leaves, and rattan. 



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