Termite (Insecta, Isoptera) richness in primary and secondary Atlantic Forest in southeastern Bahia

The Atlantic Forest is considered one of the most diverse biome in the World, harboring a large number of endemic species. However, it is one of the most degraded ecosystems in Brazil; less than 8% of its original vegetation has been preserved. In southeastern part of the state of Bahia, irresponsible deforestation and misuse of land have being degrading the forest. In this area, the termite fauna is poorly known and there was no available survey. This paper aimed: 1) to carry out a first survey on the Isoptera from this region of the Atlantic Forest; 2) to compare the termite richness between primary and secondary forests using two kind of collecting protocols; 3) to compare the results from the two different collecting protocols; 4) to classify the species into trophic groups. The study areas are "Mata da Esperanca" (primary forest) and "Reserva Zoobotanica da CEPLAC" (secondary forest), both in the county of Ilheus, BA. Quantitative and qualitative surveys followed standard protocols and the samples were obtained directly, without baits. Thirty-eight species within twenty-seven genera were identified and the family Termitidae was the most frequent. The termite fauna of the primary forest was the richest. Nineteen and thirty-three species were registered with the quantitative and qualitative protocol, respectively. The majority of the species was classified as xilophagous.