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The paper entitled “Taxonomy, Biogeography, and Notes on Termites of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands” was penned by University of Florida professor Dr. Rudolf Scheffrahn as a comprehensive review of the collection efforts he and representatives Jim Chase and John Mangold from Terminix International conducted along the 600-mile Bahamian archipelago.
“With our civilization’s advancements in knowledge and technology, it’s humbling to know that there are still things in this world that are left to be discovered,” Scheffrahn said. “We estimate there are nearly 3,000 known termite species in the world, and I would guess there are another several thousand still out there waiting to be found. Unfortunately, some of these may never be identified due to habitat destruction. Although some species are considered pests, many more are essential to nutrient cycling in many of our world’s ecosystems.”
The new paper covers a research period of 15 years and focuses on termite surveys conducted on 33 islands of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos islands. The paper reports on 27 termite species, about half of which were not previously known to inhabit these islands. The three new termite species include Cryptotermes bracketti, Anoplotermes bahamensis, and Anoplotermes inopinatus. Of the three new discoveries, the first is named in honor of Terminix Chief Operating Officer Tom Brackett. Cryptotermes bracketti is a drywood termite and is only known to inhabit the island of San Salvador.
The discovery of Cryptotermes bracketti gives San Salvador the distinction of being the smallest known island in the world with its own exclusive termite species.
“Many of the termites outlined in the new collection are known to experts throughout the world, but understanding how these termites spread to remote island locations is something that we all need to continue to study and work to comprehend,” said Jim Chase, Terminix Technical Specialist.
The discovery and collection expeditions were started in 1991 by Chase, Mangold and Scheffrahn. Many of the expeditions were personally funded by Chase. The multi-annual expeditions have expanded in regional scope and are now significantly funded by Terminix International.
“Although I initially helped fund the expeditions, our level of success would have been limited without the financial support from Terminix,” Chase said. “As a team, we at Terminix are passionate about understanding the environment, and the funding that Tom Brackett has set aside for these expeditions is a testament to the organization’s efforts. As an expression of gratitude to both Tom Brackett and Terminix, we unanimously decided to name one of the new species in his honor.”
The next research expedition to Guatemala is planned for May 27 through June 4.