''Zootermopsis'' is a genus 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 Blatto ...
s in the Dampwood termite family (
Archotermopsidae
Archotermopsidae is a family of termites in the order Blattodea, known as dampwood termites, formerly included within the family Termopsidae. They constitute a small and rather primitive family with five extant genera and 13–20 living species ...
). They are mostly found in western North America, ranging from Canada to Mexico,
with the exception of ''
Z. nevadensis'', which has become established in Japan.
They live in rotting wood, commonly inhabiting fallen or dead trees in North America's temperate rain forests, where they break down the wood's cellulose with the help of
symbiotic protozoa and bacteria in their stomachs. The life and reproductive cycles of these termites are relatively normal compared to other members of its family. Species can be identified using the shape and position of the subsidiary tooth in all non-soldier castes, allowing a more certain identification than the previous method, which was based on the more ambiguous morphology of soldiers.
Species
The genus has four species, one of which is extinct. ''Z. nevadensis'' is further subdivided into two subspecies, ''Z. n. nevadensis'' and ''Z. n. nuttingi''.
These species are:
*''
Zootermopsis angusticollis''
*''
Zootermopsis coloradensis''
*''
Zootermopsis laticeps''
*''
Zootermopsis nevadensis''
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13582529
Termite genera
Insects of North America