Biology:Nasutitermitinae
The Nasutitermitinae is a near cosmopolitan subfamily of higher termites represented by 81 genera and 605 species.[1][2] The highly derived soldier caste exhibits vestigial mandibles and a protruding fontanellar process on the head, known as the nasus, from which they can "shoot" chemical weaponry. Notable genera include the notorious wood-eating Nasutitermes, and the conspicuous Hospitalitermes and Constrictotermes, both distinguished for their brazen habit of forming extensive foraging trails exposed to the open.
Genera
The Termite Catalogue lists the following genera:[3]
- Aciculioiditermes
- Aciculitermes
- Afrosubulitermes
- Agnathotermes
- Ahmaditermes
- Ampoulitermes
- Angularitermes
- Anhangatermes
- Antillitermes
- Araujotermes
- Arcotermes
- Atlantitermes
- Australitermes
- Baucaliotermes
- Bulbitermes
- Caetetermes
- Caribitermes
- Ceylonitermellus
- Ceylonitermes
- Coarctotermes
- Coatitermes
- Coendutermes
- Constrictotermes
- Convexitermes
- Cortaritermes
- Cucurbitermes
- Cyranotermes
- Diversitermes
- Diwaitermes
- Eleanoritermes
- Emersonitermes
- Enetotermes
- Ereymatermes
- Eutermellus
- Fulleritermes
- Grallatotermes
- Havilanditermes
- Hirtitermes
- Hospitalitermes
- Kaudernitermes
- Lacessititermes
- Leptomyxotermes
- Leucopitermes
- Longipeditermes
- Macrosubulitermes
- Malagasitermes
- Malaysiotermes
- Mimeutermes
- Mironasutitermes
- Mycterotermes
- Nasopilotermes
- Nasutitermes
- Ngauratermes [4]
- Niuginitermes
- Obtusitermes
- Occasitermes
- Occultitermes
- Oriensubulitermes
- Paraconvexitermes
- Parvitermes
- Periaciculitermes
- Peribulbitermes
- Postsubulitermes
- Rhadinotermes
- Roonwalitermes
- Rotunditermes
- Rounditermes
- Sinonasutitermes
- Sinqasapatermes
- Snootitermes
- Spatulitermes
- Subulioiditermes
- Subulitermes
- Tarditermes
- Tenuirostritermes
- Thailanditermes
- Triangularitermes
- Trinervitermes
- Tumulitermes
- Velocitermes
- Verrucositermes
- Xiaitermes
Nasutes
The fontanellar gun is a defense mechanism in the form of a horn-like frontal projection (nasus) on the head of a specialized nasute soldier caste which is capable of expelling chemical weaponry at a distance, a trait exclusive to the subfamily Nasutitermitinae. It is primarily used to ward off predators such as ants.[5][6][7]
References
- ↑ Engel, M.S. (2011). "Family-group names for termites (Isoptera), redux". ZooKeys (148): 171–184. doi:10.3897/zookeys.148.1682. PMID 22287896. Bibcode: 2011ZooK..148..171E.
- ↑ Constantino, R. 2020. Termite Database. Brasília, University of Brasília. [updated April 2024; cited June 3rd 2025]. URL: http://termitologia.net.
- ↑ Termite Catalogue (retrieved 7 July 2019)
- ↑ Constantino R, Acioli ANS (2009). Ngauratermes arue, new genus and species of nasute termite (Isoptera: Termitidae) from the Amazon. Zootaxa, 2239: 22-30. Abstract & excerpt
- ↑ Prestwich, Glenn D. (May 1979). "Chemical Defense by Termite Soldiers". Journal of Chemical Ecology 5 (3): 459–480. doi:10.1007/bf00987930. Bibcode: 1979JCEco...5..459P.
- ↑ Sobotnik, Jan; Jirosova, Anna; Hanus, Robert (September 2010). "Chemical warfare in termites". Journal of Insect Physiology 56 (9): 1012–1021. doi:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2010.02.012. PMID 20223240. Bibcode: 2010JInsP..56.1012S. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/41909579.
- ↑ Miura, T.; Matsumoto, T. (2000). "Soldier morphogenesis in a nasute termite: discovery of a disc-like structure forming a soldier nasus". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 267 (1449): 1185–1189. doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1127. PMID 10902684.
External links
- Tree of Life (TolWeb)
Data related to Nasutitermitinae at Wikispecies
Wikidata ☰ Q15213827 entry
 |  |
