Glyptotermes is a predominantly tropical forest inhabitant, although it has been recorded from swamp forests (Johnson et al, 1980) and mangroves (Tho, 1992). It nests predominately in sound standing timber, and is therefore a typical ‘dry wood’ termite. However, it has also been found in fallen dead wood at various stages of decay (in Nigeria, Johnson et al., 1980; Sabah, Thapa, 1981; Eggleton et al., 1998; and Peninsular Malaysia, Tho, 1992). In addition, Torres (1994) records Glyptotermes pubescens as commonly found in rotting logs of Cyrilla racemiflora in tropical montane forest in XX. [need to check]
Glyptotermes has also been shown to raft across water gaps (e.g. to Krakatau, Abe, 1984; Gaythorne-Hardy et al., 1998), and this makes it one of the most widely dispersed of termite genera (see Bess, 1970), found on many Pacific oceanic islands.
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