Termitidae is the largest

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 ...

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 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 common to "lower termites". Whereas lower termites are restricted mostly to woody tissue, higher termites have diverse diets consisting of wood, grass, leaf litter, fungi, lichen, faeces, humus and soil.

Subfamilies

The family contains the following subfamilies: *Termitidae Latreille, 1802 **Subfamily Apicotermitinae Grassé & Noirot, 1954

955 Year 955 ( CMLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * August 10 – Battle of Lechfeld: King Otto I ("the Great") defeats the Hungarians (also ...

/small> (synonym: Indotermitidae Roonwal & Sen Sarma in Roonwal, 1958) **Subfamily Cubitermitinae Weidner, 1956 **Subfamily Foraminitermitinae Holmgren, 1912 (synonym: Pseudomicrotermitinae Holmgren, 1912) **Subfamily

Macrotermitinae The Macrotermitinae, the fungus-growing termites, constitute a subfamily of the family Termitidae that is only found within the Old World tropics. This subfamily consists of 14 genera and about 350 species and are distinguished by the fact t ...

Kemner, 1934, nomen protectum CZN 2003/small> (synonyms: Acanthotermitinae Sjöstedt, 1926, nomen rejiciendum CZN 2003/small>; Odontotermitini Weidner, 1956 **Subfamily

Nasutitermitinae The Nasutitermitinae are a subfamily of higher termites that includes more than 80 genera. They are most recognisable by the more highly derived soldier caste which exhibits vestigial mandibles and a protruding fontanellar process on the head ...

Hare, 1937 **Subfamily Sphaerotermitinae Engel & Krishna, 2004a **Subfamily Syntermitinae Engel & Krishna, 2004a (synonym: Cornitermitinae Ensaf et al., 2004, nomen nudum) **Subfamily

Termitinae Termitinae is a subfamily of termites; ''Amitermes'' and certain other genera (indicated here with a *) have previously been placed in the Amitermitinae Amitermitinae is a disputed subfamily of "higher termites" now often merged with the sub ...

Latreille, 1802 (synonyms: Microcerotermitinae Holmgren, 1910b;

Amitermitinae Amitermitinae is a disputed subfamily of "higher termites" now often merged with the subfamily Termitinae and is considered by ITIS as a synonym; it had previously been placed in the family Rhinotermitidae. Amitermitinae have as typical charact ...

Kemner, 1934 (disputed); Mirocapritermitinae Kemner, 1934; Mirotermitini Weidner, 1956; Capritermitini Weidner, 1956)

Identification

Imago forewing and hindwing scales either evenly or closely sized and not overlapping. Wing scale suture and veins are strongly sclerotized, veins reduced. Post-clypeus of workers and imagoes both swollen and protruding from head capsule. Pronotum is saddled with depressed anterior corners. Ocelli of imago typically (but not always) protruding above head capsule.

References

Termites Blattodea families Taxa named by Pierre André Latreille {{termite-stub