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Termites
Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial cockroaches which consume a variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus. They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the soft-bodied, unpigmented worker caste for which they have been commonly termed "white ants"; however, they are not ants but highly derived cockroaches. About 2,997 extant species are currently described, 2,125 of which are members of the family Termitidae. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattodea (the cockroaches). Termites were once classified in a separate order from cockroaches, but recent phylogenetic studies indicate that they evolved from cockroaches, as they are deeply nested within the group, and the sister group to wood-eating cockroaches of the genus '' Cryptocercus''. Previous estimates suggested the divergence took place during the Jurassic or Triassic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kalotermitidae
Kalotermitidae (drywood termites), are a basal family with a roughly cosmopolitan circumtropical distribution. With 21 genera and 419 species, it is the second most diverse termite family after the Termitidae. The majority of members are functionally specialists of sound wood - though not necessarily dry wood. Hence, while not all Kalotermitidae taxa are commonly referred to as drywood termites, the name is commonly used to refer to the family itself. The family contains notable pest taxa such as Cryptotermes brevis and Incisitermes minor. Description Kalotermitidae vary significantly in size (3mm - 20mm), however all castes possess pronotums as wide or wider than the head, often flatly arched; a morphology atypical to extant termites except for the alates of Mastotermes and thus characteristic of the family. Workers and soldiers are often compact or tubular in general appearance. The legs of Kalotermitidae possess a tarsal formula of 4-4-4, each leg possessing three tibi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cockroach
Cockroaches (or roaches) are insects belonging to the Order (biology), order Blattodea (Blattaria). About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known Pest (organism), pests. Modern cockroaches are an ancient group that first appeared during the Late Jurassic, with their ancestors, known as "Roachoid, roachoids", likely originating during the Carboniferous period around 320 million years ago. Those early ancestors, however, lacked the internal ovipositors of modern roaches. Cockroaches are somewhat generalized insects lacking special adaptations (such as the sucking Insect mouthparts, mouthparts of aphids and other Hemiptera, true bugs); they have chewing mouthparts and are probably among the most primitive of living Neopteran insects. They are common and hardy insects capable of tolerating a wide range of Köppen climate classification, climates, from Arctic cold to Tropics, tropical heat. Tropical cockroaches are often muc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formosan Subterranean Termite
The Formosan termite (''Coptotermes formosanus'') is a species of termite local to southern China and introduced to Taiwan (formerly known as Formosa, where it gets its name), Japan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Hawaii, and the continental United States. The Formosan termite is often nicknamed the super-termite because of its destructive habits due to the large size of its colonies and its ability to consume wood at a rapid rate. Populations of these termites have become large enough to appear on New Orleans' weather radars. A mature Formosan colony can consume as much as 13 ounces of wood a day (about 400 g) and can severely damage a structure in as little as three months. Formosan termites infest a wide variety of structures (including boats and high-rise condominiums) and can damage trees. In the United States, along with another species, '' Coptotermes gestroi'', introduced from Southeast Asia, they are responsible for tremendous damage to property resulting in large treatment ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eusociality
Eusociality ( Greek 'good' and social) is the highest level of organization of sociality. It is defined by the following characteristics: cooperative brood care (including care of offspring from other individuals), overlapping generations within a colony of adults, and a division of labor into reproductive and non-reproductive groups. The division of labor creates specialized behavioral groups within an animal society, sometimes called castes. Eusociality is distinguished from all other social systems because individuals of at least one caste usually lose the ability to perform behaviors characteristic of individuals in another caste. Eusocial colonies can be viewed as superorganisms. Eusociality has evolved among the insects, crustaceans, trematoda and mammals. It is most widespread in the Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps) and in Isoptera (termites). A colony has caste differences: queens and reproductive males take the roles of the sole reproducers, while soldiers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Termitidae
Termitidae is the largest family of termites consisting of 2,125 described species of which 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", which are instead replaced by bacteria and archaea. 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. Around 60% of species rely on soil-feeding alone. Systematics The family contains the following subfamilies: : Family Termitidae Latreille, 1802 :: subfamily Sphaerotermitinae Engel & Krishna, 2004 :: subfamily Macrotermitinae Kemner, 1934, nomen protectum CZN 2003/small> (synonyms: Acanthotermitinae Sjöstedt, 1926, nomen rejiciendum CZN 2003 Odontotermitini Weidner, 1956) :: subfamily Foraminitermitinae Holmgren, 1912 (synonym: Pseudomicrotermiti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hodotermitidae
The Hodotermitidae (from Greek ὁδός (hodós), travelling; Latin '' termes'', woodworm) are a basal Old World family of termites known as the harvester termites. They are distinguished by the serrated inner edge of their mandibles, and their functional compound eyes which are present in all castes. They forage for grass at night and during daylight hours, and the pigmented workers are often observed outside the nest. Their range includes the deserts and savannas of Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia. Their English name refers to their habit of collecting grass, which is not unique to the family however. General The family consists of three extant genera and some 18 or 19 species. '' Anacanthotermes'' is found in deserts and semideserts of North Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia, including Baluchistan and southern India. '' Hodotermes'' has a vast range from Palaearctic North Africa, through the East African savannas to the karroid regions of southern A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 two extant genera and 5 living species. They may rarely infest structures but do not usually do so, nor do they cause extensive damage to buildings or other man-made structures unless said structure has been sufficiently damaged such as by water. As their name implies, they eat wood that is not dried out, perhaps even rotting, and are consequently of little use to humans. Taxonomy In 2009, the five extant genera from the family Termopsidae ('' Archotermopsis'', '' Hodotermopsis'', '' Porotermes'', '' Stolotermes'', and '' Zootermopsis'') were moved to a newly created family, Archotermopsidae (''Zootermopsis'' had previously been treated as part of the family Hodotermitidae), so that the family Termopsidae now includes only fossil taxa: ''Asiatermes'', ''Huaxiatermes'', and ''Mesoterm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heterotermitidae
Heterotermitidae, or the subterranean termites, is a family of termites that was elevated to family level from the subfamily '' Heterotermitinae'', formerly nested in ''Rhinotermitidae Rhinotermitidae, sensu novo are a family (biology), family of Neoisoptera, Neoisopteran termites represented by genera formerly held within the now historical subfamily Rhinotermitinae. The soldiers of Rhinotermitidae notably possess a labral bru ...''. Recent cladistic analyses as of 2024 position ''Heterotermitidae'' as sister to the '' Termitidae'', forming the clade '' Geoisoptera''. Members of this family are some of the most economically significant insects known, with '' Coptotermes formosanus'' in particular costing an estimated >$2.2 billion in annual damages within the United States alone. They primarily feed through the soil-wood interface, foraging for food through the soil and mud tubes. The nests of most species are typically diffuse subterranean galleries and tunnels, however '' Cop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Serritermitidae
Serritermitidae is a family of termites belonging to the infraorder Isoptera in the order Blattodea Blattodea is an order (biology), order of insects that contains cockroaches and termites. Formerly, termites were considered a separate order, Isoptera, but genetics, genetic and molecular evidence suggests they evolved from within the cockroach .... The family includes only a few species, which live in South America. Appearance These termites are much like the family Rhinotermitidae, to which they are related. The soldiers' jaws are sharply toothed on the inner side. At all stages, the mandible is strikingly sharp. The flying stages have fore wings with only one longitudinal vein, slightly ahead of the center of the wing. From this it affects numerous oblique veins to the wing trailing edge. Habits They are located in or on the ground. Their mode of life resembles the family Rhinotermitidae. ''Serritermes serrifer'' lives in the walls of the tufts of termites in the gen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Termopsidae
Termopsidae is an extinct family of termites in the order Blattodea. The five extant genera formerly included in Termopsidae ('' Archotermopsis'', '' Hodotermopsis'', '' Porotermes'', '' Stolotermes'', and '' Zootermopsis'') now belong in their own distinct families, leaving only extinct taxa in Termopsidae. Several prehistoric genera are placed herein, known only from fossils. Since only a small part of the diversity of dampwood termites survives, it is rather difficult to assign these to subfamilies. Several seem to represent very ancient members of the family; they may be quite basal Termopsidae, so it is indeed unwarranted to place them into a subfamily at all. Genera * '' Asiatermes'' ** '' Asiatermes reticulatus'' (Cretaceous, Aptian; Lushangfen Formation, China) * '' Cretatermes'' ** '' Cretatermes carpenteri'' (Cretaceous, Cenomanian; Redmond Formation, Canada) * '' Huaxiatermes'' ** '' Huaxiatermes huangi'' (Cretaceous, Aptian; Lushangfen Formation, China) * '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhinotermitidae
Rhinotermitidae, sensu novo are a family (biology), family of Neoisoptera, Neoisopteran termites represented by genera formerly held within the now historical subfamily Rhinotermitinae. The soldiers of Rhinotermitidae notably possess a labral brush, a highly modified projection of the labrum which channels the fontanellar fluid onto a hairy tip, which is used to smear threats. The Rhinotermitidae have a wide distribution, being found from the Neotropical realm, Neotropics to the Indomalayan realm, Indomalayan, Afrotropical realm, Afrotropical, Australasia, Australasian, and Palearctic realm, Palearctic (Sino-Japanese) realms. Genera *Acorhinotermes *Dolichorhinotermes *Macrorhinotermes *Parrhinotermes *Rhinotermes *Schedorhinotermes * †''Zophotermes'' *†''Lukotermes'' References * External links * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rhinotermitidae Termites Blattodea families Rhinotermitidae, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cratomastotermitidae
''Cratomastotermes'' is an extinct genus of termites in the family Cratomastotermitidae, the sole genus of the family. There is one described species in ''Cratomastotermes'', ''C. wolfschwenningeri''. References Termites Taxa named by Michael S. Engel {{cretaceous-insect-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
