Constrictotermes

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Constrictotermes
Constrictotermes cavifrons.jpg
Constrictotermes cavifrons
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Infraorder: Isoptera
Nanorder: Neoisoptera
Family: Termitidae
Subfamily: Nasutitermitinae
Genus: Constrictotermes
Holmgren, 1910

Constrictotermes [1] is a genus of Neotropical higher termites within the subfamily Nasutitermitinae. [2] They form large open-air foraging columns from which they travel to and from their sources of food, similar to the Indomalayan species of processionary termites. Species of this genus commonly build epigeal or arboreal nests and feed on a variety of lichens, rotted woods and mosses. [3] [4]

Contents

Description

Soldiers are monomorphic and identifiable with a notable constriction of the head behind the antenna sockets; the antenna have 13-14 articles, and the points of the mandibles are small. [5] Species of this genus are distributed throughout the Neotropics, occurring primarily within South America and Central America; with one species, C. guantanamensis, being found within the extreme southeastern coast of Cuba. [6] Within South America, Constrictotermes spp. can be found from the tropical rainforests of the Amazon to the xeric shrublands of Northeastern Brazil.

As with all Nasutitermitinae termites, the soldiers are capable of shooting a noxious terpene based chemical repellant from their fontanellar gun that solidifies when exposed to air.

Species

  1. Constrictotermes cavifrons
  2. Constrictotermes cyphergaster
  3. Constrictotermes guantanamensis
  4. Constrictotermes latinotus
  5. Constrictotermes rupestris
  6. Constrictotermes cacaoensis

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<i>Nasutitermes corniger</i> Species of termite

Nasutitermes corniger is a species of arboreal termite that is endemic to the neotropics. It is very closely related to Nasutitermes ephratae. The species has been studied relatively intensively, particularly on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. These studies and others have shown that the termite interacts with many different organisms including a bat that roosts in its nest and various species of ants that cohabit with the termite.

<i>Reticulitermes</i> Genus of termites

Reticulitermes is a termite genus in the family Rhinotermitidae. They are found in most temperate regions on Earth including much of Asia and the Middle East, Western Europe, and all of North America.

Serritermitidae is a family of termites belonging to the infraorder Isoptera in the order Blattodea. The family includes only a few species, which live in South America.

<i>Amitermes</i> Genus of termites

Amitermes is a genus of termites in the family Termitidae. Species are found in a range of habitats including deserts and rainforests. Characteristics of Amitermes soldiers include a bulbous head, sickle-shaped mandibles with a single tooth on their inner margins and cephalic glands on the front of their heads.

<i>Nasutitermes triodiae</i> Species of termite

Nasutitermes triodiae, also known as the cathedral termite, is a grass-eating species of Nasutitermitinae termite that can be found in Northern Territory, Australia. It is also sometimes referred to as the spinifex termite, since it is found in the spinifex grasslands. Very little research has been done on the underground nature of this species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasutitermitinae</span> Subfamily of termites

The Nasutitermitinae is a cosmopolitan 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 from which they can "shoot" chemical weaponry. True workers of certain genera within this subfamily also exhibit a visible epicranial y suture, most notably found within the members of Nasutitermes. Notable genera include the notorious wood-eating Nasutitermes, and the conspicuous Hospitalitermes and Constrictotermes, both genera characterized by their behavior of forming large open-air foraging trails.

<i>Hospitalitermes monoceros</i> Species of termite

Hospitalitermes monoceros, is a species of nasute termite of the genus Hospitalitermes. It was originally considered to be endemic to Sri Lanka, but was also found in India in 2013. It is an obligate lichen feeder. It is recorded from Cassia multijuga and Ficus religiosa trees and is a pest of tea.

<i>Macrotermes carbonarius</i> Species of termite

Macrotermes carbonarius, also known as Kongkiak in Malay, is a large black species of fungus-growing termite in the genus Macrotermes. It is one of the most conspicuous species of Macrotermes found in the Indomalayan tropics, forming large foraging trails in the open that can extend several metres in distance. M. carbonarius is a highly aggressive species with the soldiers possessing large curving mandibles that easily break skin. It is found in Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

<i>Hospitalitermes</i> Genus of termites

Hospitalitermes is an Asian–Papuan genus of lichen-eating termite in the subfamily Nasutitermitinae. There are 37 species currently listed, of which most are recognized for their extensive surface foraging columns. Due to their conspicuous foraging activities, they are commonly known as processionary or marching termites. They often inhabit cavities inside of living trees excavated by other species of termite.

Ceylonitermes is a genus of termites in the subfamily Nasutitermitinae. They are found in South and Southeast Asia.

Inquilinitermes is a genus of Neotropical termites described by Anthony G. Mathews that includes species found exclusively inside nests of another termite species in the genus Constrictotermes. For not being able to build their own nest, every species of Inquilinitermes has been commonly referred as an obligatory inquiline and its symbiosis with a host termite has been treated as inquilinism.

<i>Syntermes</i> Genus of termites

Syntermes is a genus of large Neotropical higher termites within the subfamily Syntermitinae. The genus is found only in South America where members are distributed widely throughout the continent, being found from the tropical rainforests of Colombia to the savannas of Brazil and Northern Argentina.

<i>Constrictotermes cyphergaster</i> Species of termite

Constrictotermes cyphergaster is a Neotropical species of open-air foraging nasute termite within the genus Constrictotermes. This species is distributed widely throughout South America and lives within xeric habitats such as the savannas found in Paraguay, Bolivia, Central Brazil, and Northern Argentina. C. cyphergaster primarily builds arboreal and transient epigeic nests and mainly consumes dead woods at varying stages of decomposition.

The Syntermitinae, also known as the mandibulate nasutes, is a Neotropical subfamily of higher termites represented by 21 genera and 103 species. The soldier caste of members of this subfamily have a conspicuous horn-like projection on the head which is adapted for chemical defense, similar to the fontanellar gun of true nasute termites. However unlike true nasutes, the mandibles of the soldiers are functional and highly developed, and they are unable to expel their chemical weaponry at a distance – instead relying on direct physical contact. Some genera, such as Syntermes or Labiotermes, have a highly reduced nasus and in some species it may appear absent altogether. Although the Syntermitinae were once grouped and considered basal within the Nasutitermitinae, they are not closely related with modern cladistic analyses showing Syntermitinae to be a separate and distinct lineage that is more closely related to either the Amitermes-group or MicrocerotermesTermitinae. It is believed the nasus evolved independently in Syntermitinae in an example of convergent evolution. Genera range from southern Mexico (Cahuallitermes) to Northern Argentina with the highest diversity occurring in the Brazilian Cerrado.

Rhynchotermes is a genus of Neotropical higher termites within the subfamily Syntermitinae, represented by 8 known species. Species of this genus are known for their soldiers which have highly developed sickle-shaped mandibles and a pronounced frontal tube superficially analogous to the fontanellar guns of true nasute termites. Most species forage above the surface in the open where they primarily feed on forest leaf litter. Nests are subterranean or are shallow and epigeic.

Orthognathotermes heberi is a species of termite found in Brazil.

References

  1. Constrictotermes Holmgren, 1910
  2. "Mindat.org". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  3. "Termites of the Amazon rainforest - part 2 - Termite Web". www.termiteweb.com. 2011-05-06. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  4. Vasconcellos, Alexandre; Araújo, Virgínia F.P.; Moura, Flávia M.S.; Bandeira, Adelmar G. (October 2007). "Biomass and population structure of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Silvestri) (Isoptera: termitidae) in the dry forest of caatinga, northeastern Brazil". Neotropical Entomology. 36 (5): 693–698. doi: 10.1590/s1519-566x2007000500009 . ISSN   1519-566X.
  5. CONSTANTINO, REGINALDO (2002-08-29). "An illustrated key to Neotropical termite genera (Insecta: Isoptera) based primarily on soldiers". Zootaxa. 67 (1): 1. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.67.1.1. ISSN   1175-5334.
  6. Krěcěk, Jan; Scheffrahn, Rudolf H.; Roisin, Yves (1996). "Greater Antillean Nasutitermitinae (Isoptera: Termitidae): Constrictotermes guantanamensis, a New Subterranean Termite from Eastern Cuba". The Florida Entomologist. 79 (2): 180–187. doi: 10.2307/3495815 . ISSN   0015-4040.