''Termitaradus '' is a small tropicopolitan

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

true bugs Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from to aroun ...

placed in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Termitaphididae Termitaphididae, occasionally called termite bugs, is a small tropicopolitan family of true bugs placed in the superfamily Aradoidea. Typically members of Termitaphididae are small, being an average of -, and flattened with laminae extending o ...

. As is typical for the family, living members of ''Termitaradus '' are small, being an average of to , and flattened with laminae extending out from each body segment giving a round scale like appearance. The same is true for the extinct species with the exception of ''T. protera'' which reaches in length. All members of Termitaphididae are

inquiline In zoology, an inquiline (from Latin ''inquilinus'', "lodger" or "tenant") is an animal that lives commensally in the nest, burrow, or dwelling place of an animal of another species. For example, some organisms such as insects may live in the h ...

s lodging in the nests of host species of

termite 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 Blattode ...

s, with ''Termitaradus '' species known only from the family

Rhinotermitidae Rhinotermitidae is a family of termites (Isoptera). They feed on wood and can cause extensive damage to buildings or other wooden structures. About 345 species are recognized, among these are severe pests such as '' Coptotermes formosanus'', ''Co ...

. Though considered a separate family in Aradoidea it has been suggested by Drs David Grimaldi and

Michael Engel Michael S. Engel, FLS, FRES (born September 24, 1971) is an American paleontologist and entomologist, notable for contributions to insect evolutionary biology and classification. In connection with his studies he has undertaken field expedit ...

in 2008 that Termataphididae may in fact be highly derived members of

Aradidae Aradidae is a family of flat bugs, and a member of true bugs (Heteroptera). The common name for these insects refers to their dorsoventrally flattened bodies. With few exceptions, these cryptic insects are of no economic importance. This famil ...

. The second genus placed in Termitaphididae, '' Termitaphis'', contains the monotypic species '' Termitaphis circumvallata'' which inhabits nests of

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 ...

(termites) in

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

Species

The eight living species are found worldwide in the tropical regions of Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia while three extinct species are known from

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

Dominican amber Dominican amber is amber from the Dominican Republic derived from resin of the extinct tree ''Hymenaea protera''. Dominican amber differentiates itself from Baltic amber by being nearly always transparent, and it has a higher number of fossil incl ...

and the third from Late Oligocene to Early Miocene Mexican amber. *'' T. annandalei'' *'' T. australiensis'' * †'' T. avitinquilinus'' (

Dominican Amber Dominican amber is amber from the Dominican Republic derived from resin of the extinct tree ''Hymenaea protera''. Dominican amber differentiates itself from Baltic amber by being nearly always transparent, and it has a higher number of fossil incl ...

) *†'' T. dominicanus'' (Dominican amber) *'' T. guianae'' *'' T. jamaicensis'' *'' T. mexicana'' *†'' T. mitnicki'' (Dominican amber) *'' T. panamensis'' *†'' T. protera'' (

Mexican amber Mexican amber, also known as Chiapas Amber is amber found in Mexico, created during the Early Miocene and middle Miocene epochs of the Cenozoic Era in southwestern North America. As with other ambers, a wide variety of taxa have been found as inc ...

) *'' T. subafra'' *'' T. trinidadensis''

References

Aradoidea {{Heteroptera-stub