In the tropics, arthropods, particularly insects, make up much of
the described biodiversity. In these environments, termites are
often the dominant macrobiota [27], with amajor role in ecological
processes such as organic decomposition, soil formation and
regulation (the maintenance of the physical and chemical conditions
consistent with stability and continued fertility [6,7,21]). Thus
termites are qualified as soil engineers [11,20], but also as ‘keystone
species’ since their constructions and bioturbation activities create