Biology:Rhinotermitidae

Short description: Family of termites

Rhinotermitidae
Reticulitermes banyulensis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Blattodea
Infraorder:	Isoptera
Nanorder:	Neoisoptera
Family:	Rhinotermitidae Froggatt, 1897
Subfamilies
See text

Rhinotermitidae is a family of wood-soil interface feeding termites commonly known as the Subterranean termites. Many members of this family are known pests that can cause extensive damage to buildings or other wooden structures. Most species establish colonies in wood before migrating to the ground to create diffuse nests connecting to multiple pieces of wood, with some taxa such as Coptotermitinae creating mounds or centralized carton nests within wood. All members forage via shelter tubes through the soil to sources of food. In addition, Rhinotermitidae are known for having a higher level of social complexity as compared to other termites. Communication takes place through chemical activity, more specifically through traces of cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC), or semiochemicals, acting as pheromones to send signals to the king and queen of the nest (Anne-Geneviève Bagnères; Edward Vargo, 2019). About 345 species are recognized, among these are severe pests such as Coptotermes formosanus, Coptotermes gestroi, and Reticulitermes flavipes.

Subfamilies and Genera

WikiSpecies and the Termite Catalogue list the following:

Coptotermitinae

Auth.: Holmgren, 1910

• Coptotermes

Heterotermitinae

Auth.: Froggatt, 1897 (synonym Leucotermitinae Holmgren, 1910a)

• Heterotermes
• Reticulitermes
• Tsaitermes

Prorhinotermitinae

Auth.: Quennedey & Deligne, 1975

• Prorhinotermes

Psammotermitinae

Auth.: Holmgren, 1911 (Note: Holmgren included this taxon in "family Mesotermitidae")

• Psammotermes

Rhinotermitinae

Auth.: Froggatt, 1897

• Acorhinotermes
• Dolichorhinotermes
• Macrorhinotermes
• Parrhinotermes
• Rhinotermes
• Schedorhinotermes

Termitogetoninae

Auth.: Holmgren, 1910

• Termitogeton

incertae sedis

• †Zophotermes

References

Anne-Geneviève Bagnères, Edward Vargo. Subterranean Termites (Rhinotermitidae). Encyclopedia of Social Insects, Springer International Publishing, pp. 1–5, 2019, ff10.1007/978-3-319-90306-4_120-1ff. ffhal-02383262f

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q1953004 entry