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Psyche 
[Vol. 89 
III. Feeding Habits and Foraging Behavior 
Feeding habits were deduced from field observations, examina- 
tion of worker mandibles and gut contents, information in the liter- 
ature and in some cases, from laboratory food preference experiments. 
Results are summarized in Table 7. Details of foraging behavior, 
methods of investigation and food sources are given below. 
Grigiotermes metoecus 
Field observations and examinations of worker mandibles and 
gut contents indicate that this species is entirely geophagous. It 
excavates subterranean galleries in the soil surrounding its mound 
and is also frequently found in old, disused termite workings, pre- 
sumably rich in organic material. 
A rmitermes euamignathus 
In the cerrado and cerradao vegetations foraging workers can be 
found under the bark of living trees and sound, dead trees. How- 
ever, this species also occurs with equal frequency in campo limpo 
where few or no woody shrubs exist. Field observations on the 
foraging behavior of 100 colonies of this species show that in the 
absence of woody vegetation they can exploit the root systems of 
grasses (Domingos 1980). Laboratory food preference experiments 
carried out by the same author on five colonies of A. euamignathus 
indicates that when presented with a range of food sources, all 
colonies selected wood in preference to bark, litter and grass roots. 
Further field observations confirmed that this species selects dead, 
sound wood in preference to live and to dead, decomposed wood. 
The workers forage diurnally and reach the food source via subter- 
ranean galleries. On average, mounds are 0.4 and 0.3 meters from 
their food sources in cerradao and cerradao respectively and 1.2 and 
1.0 meters in campo sujo and campo limpo, respectively (Domingos 
op. cit.). 
Cornitermes cumulans 
Field observations on foraging parties indicate that workers of 
this species feed on living and dead grasses and herbs, which they 
reach through subterranean tunnels, occasionally foraging under a 
fine layer of soil-sheeting. Small pieces of grass are cut from stand- 
ing grass tussocks and carried to the mound. Feeding in situ has 
been observed occasionally. Preliminary food preference experi- 
