New Distributional Record of Nasutitermes Genus in Haryana State (India)

Termites contribute to the stability and balance of the environment through a variety of functions including soil formation, increased soil fertility, organic nutrient recycling, and a significant contribution to organic matter decomposition. Thus, termites are not only indicators of ecological health but also indirectly contribute to the conservation of soil productivity and biodiversity. Despite their immense ecological importance, limited studies have been conducted on termite diversity and distribution in many parts of India—especially the state of Haryana, Punjab and other northwestern regions. Present study makes a significant contribution to Haryana's biodiversity by establishing a new distributional record of termite species from the Nasutitermes genus. This species was discovered on the Yamuna River's bank in Yamuna Nagar District, Haryana, India. This species was collected using the hand collection method, employing a brush with ethanol and transferred to 5 ml collecting vials, Identification was done by using morphological approaches using a taxonomic key using a stereozoom microscope (SZM 100) equipped with a measuring micrometer in the Department of Zoology, Chaudhary Bansi Lal University, Bhiwani upto genus level. Species-level identification was not possible because the available morphological characters were insufficient for reliable species determination. As a result, the specimens were only recognized up to the genus level. Because there have been no previous records of this genus in Haryana, the current study is the first to document it. This new termite record broadens the species' known geographical spread. Previously, this species genus had only been found in south and east India. This is the first confirmation of this species in North India, and this research study provides us with an excellent opportunity to learn more about the distributional pattern, taxonomy, and natural adaptation of Nasutitermes species.