The Syntermitinae is a
neotropical
The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone.
Definition
In biog ...
subfamily of mandibulate nasute termites in the family
Termitidae
Termitidae is the largest family of termites whose members are commonly known as the higher termites. They are evolutionarily the most specialised termite group, with their highly compartmentalized hindgut lacking the flagellated protozoans comm ...
which contains 18 genera and 101 species.
Majority of members in this subfamily have a soldier caste with a conspicuous horn-like projection from the fontanelle on their head adapted for chemical defense, similar to the
fontanellar nasus of
true nasute termites
Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattod ...
. However unlike true nasutes, the soldiers' mandibles are highly developed and they are unable to expel their chemical weaponry at a distance, relying instead on direct physical contact. Some genera, such as
Syntermes
''Syntermes'' is a genus of large, hornless, open foraging Syntermitinae termites
Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infr ...
, have completely lost their nasus. Both ''Nasutitermitinae'' and ''Syntermitinae'' are not closely related, with Syntermitinae being more closely related to either the ''
Amitermes-group'' or ''
Microcerotermes'' ''
Termitinae''.
Identification
The frontal-gland aperture of soldiers is at the tip of a large projection (nasus) located in the frontal region of the head and the soldier mandibles have a recognizable molar plate and prominence.
The first proctodeal segment (P1) of the gut in workers are similar across all genera, distinguished by a generally inflated and globose shape with diverse ornamentation arrangements specialized to certain feeding strategies.
Genera
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Acangaobitermes''
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Armitermes''
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Cahuallitermes''
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Cyrilliotermes''
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Curvitermes''
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Labiotermes''
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Macuxitermes''
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Noirotitermes''
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Paracurvitermes''
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Rhynchotermes''
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Syntermes
''Syntermes'' is a genus of large, hornless, open foraging Syntermitinae termites
Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infr ...
''
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Cornitermes''
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Procornitermes''
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Ibitermes''
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Uncitermes''
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Genuotermes''
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Silvestritermes''
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Mapinguaritermes''
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15275401
Insect subfamilies
Termites