In tropical rainforests, termites constitute an important part of the soil fauna biomass, and as for other soil arthropods, variations in soil composition create opportunities for niche partitioning. The aim of this study was twofold: first, we tested whether soil-feeding termite species differ in the foraging substrate; second, we investigated whether soil-feeding termites select their foraging sites to enhance nutrients intake. To do so, we collected termites and analysed the composition and structure of their feeding substrates. Although Anoplotermes-group members are all considered soil-feeders, our results show that some species specifically feed on abandoned termite nests and very rotten wood, and that this substrate selection is correlated with previous stable isotope analyses, suggesting that one component of niche differentiation among species is substrate selection. Our results show that the composition and structure of bare soils on which different termite species foraged do not differ, suggesting that there is no species specialization for a particular type of bare soil. Finally, the bare soil on which termites forage does not differ from random soil samples. Overall, our results suggest that few species of the Anoplotermes-group are specialized toward substrates rich in organic matter, but that the vast majority forage on soil independently of its structural and chemical composition, being ecologically equivalent for this factor.

Czech University of Life Sciences Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Kamýcká 129 165 21 Praha 6 Suchdol Czech Republic

Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore 117543 Singapore Singapore; Czech University of Life Sciences Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Kamýcká 129 165 21 Praha 6 Suchdol Czech Republic

Evolutionary Biology and Ecology CP 160 12 Université Libre de Bruxelles Avenue F D Roosevelt 50 1050 Brussels Belgium

Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Flemingovo nám 2 166 10 Prague Czech Republic

Plant Ecology and Biogeochemistry Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels Belgium

PLoS One. 2015 Nov 23;10(11):e0143776. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143776. PubMed

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