Odontotermes

Their underground nests form a slight mound above ground, which may be covered in grass. In large colonies, the mounds may be up to in diameter, and may be covered by shrubs and trees. Some species construct open chimneys or vent holes that descend into the mound. The fungal garden is enveloped by a thick layer of clay. ==Castes==

The queen lives in a clay cell in the midst of the fungal garden at the center of the hive. The African species have a single soldier caste, unlike the related genus Macrotermes. Alarmed soldier termites of Odontotermes badius Haviland 1898 expel an odoriferous brown defensive secretion between their mandibles that becomes sticky and rubbery on exposure to air. The secretion is a mixture of benzoquinone and protein. ==Food==

Their only food is the fungus grown in the fungal garden at the center of the nest. The fungus is cultivated on a substrate of wood, bark, leaf litter, dry dung, and dead grass. ==Species==

Species include: • Odontotermes assmuthi Holmgren, 1913 – South Asia • Odontotermes badius (Haviland, 1898) – Africa • Odontotermes ceylonicus (Wasmann, 1902) – South Asia • Odontotermes escherichi Holmgren, 1911 – South Asia • Odontotermes feae (Wasmann, 1896) – South Asia • Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) – South Asia • Odontotermes globicola (Wasmann, 1902) – South Asia • Odontotermes horni (Wasmann, 1902) – South Asia • Odontotermes koenigi (Desneux, 1906) – South Asia • Odontotermes latericius (Haviland, 1898) – Africa • Odontotermes obesus (Rambur) – South Asia • Odontotermes preliminaris (Holmgren, 1911) – South Asia • Odontotermes redemanni (Wasmann, 1893) – South Asia • Odontotermes taprobanes (Walker, 1853) – South Asia • Odontotermes transvaalensis (Sjöstedt, 1902) – Africa • Odontotermes wallonensis Wasmann – South Asia ==Gallery==

Odontotermes badius, werkerkaste, Pretoria, a.jpg|O. badius worker Odontotermes badius, sement op boombas, Waterberg.jpg|Cement plastered over tree bark Odontotermes badius, werkerkaste, Skeerpoort, b.jpg|Workers foraging on tree bark under cement Odontotermes badius, in oop ventilasietonnel, Skeerpoort, e.jpg|Workers in ventilation tunnel ==References==