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1. Nitrogen and carbon stable‐isotope ratios (δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C) of body tissues, mound/nest materials and dietary substrates were determined in termite species with differing trophic habits, sampled from the Mbalmayo Forest Reserve, southern Cameroon.

2. δ¹⁵N of termite tissues was enriched gradually along a spectrum of species representing a trophic gradient from wood‐ to soil‐feeding. Species that could be identified from their general biology and from gut content analysis as feeding on well‐rotted wood or as wood/soil interface feeders showed δ¹⁵N intermediate between sound‐wood‐feeders and soil‐feeders. It is proposed that δ¹⁵N is therefore a possible indicator of the functional position of species in the humification process. Differences in δ¹³C were also observed between wood‐feeding and soil‐feeding forms.

3. High values of δ¹⁵N in soil‐feeding termites suggest that nitrogen fixation is of little …