Drepanotermes

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Drepanotermes
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Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Infraorder: Isoptera
Family: Termitidae
Subfamily: Amitermitinae
Genus: Drepanotermes
Silvestri, 1909

Drepanotermes is a genus of harvester termites in the subfamily Amitermitinae. It was first described by F. Silvestri in 1909, based on specimens collected during the Hamburg Southwest Australian Expedition. [1]

Contents

Species of Drepanotermes are endemic to arid regions of Australia. [2]

Phylogeny

Drepanotermes was traditionally placed in the subfamily Termitinae, based primarily on morphological characteristics and foraging behaviour. [3]

A phylogenetic study by Heimburger et al. (2022), based on mitochondrial genome data, confirmed that *Drepanotermes* forms a well-supported monophyletic clade within the Australian *Amitermes* group (AAG). Their analyses date the divergence of *Drepanotermes* to approximately 6.5 million years ago during the late Miocene, followed by rapid diversification during the Pliocene, likely in response to climatic change and biome transitions. [2]

Hellemans et al. (2024) later reassigned *Drepanotermes* to the subfamily Amitermitinae, based on comprehensive molecular evidence across extant termite lineages. This reclassification reflects deep evolutionary relationships that were not apparent from morphology alone and updates the systematic position of the genus accordingly. [4]

Ecology

Drepanotermes species construct mounds or subterranean nests that are connected to the surface by covered soil trails used for foraging. Colonies collect dry plant material, primarily grasses and leaves, which is transported along these trails and stored in underground chambers for later consumption. [5] Foraging activity often creates characteristic bare zones in the surrounding vegetation. [6] Depending on the species, nests may be entirely subterranean or include small, surface soil mounds. [2]

References

  1. ↑ Silvestri, F. (1909b). Isoptera. In W. Michaelsen & R. Hartmeyer (Eds.), Die Fauna Südwest-Australiens. Ergebnisse der Hamburger südwest-australischen Forschungsreise 1905 (Vol. 2, Part 17, pp. 279–314). Jena: Gustav Fischer.
  2. 1 2 3 Heimburger, Bastian; Maurer, Santiago Soto; Schardt, Leonie; Scheu, Stefan; Hartke, Tamara R. (2022). "Historical and future climate change fosters expansion of Australian harvester termites, Drepanotermes". Evolution. 76 (9): 2145–2161. doi:10.1111/evo.14573. ISSN   0014-3820.
  3. ↑ Watson, J. A. L., & McMahan, E. A. (1978). Polyethism in the Australian harvester termite *Drepanotermes* (Isoptera, Termitinae). Insectes Sociaux, 25(1), 53–62.
  4. ↑ Hellemans, Simon; Rocha, Mauricio M.; Wang, Menglin; Romero Arias, Johanna; Aanen, Duur K.; Bagnères, Anne-Geneviève; Buček, Aleš; Carrijo, Tiago F.; Chouvenc, Thomas; Cuezzo, Carolina (2024-08-07). "Genomic data provide insights into the classification of extant termites". Nature Communications. 15 (1): 6724. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51028-y. PMC   11306793 . PMID   39112457.
  5. ↑ Hill, G. F. (1922). On some Australian termites of the genera Drepanotermes, Hamitermes and Leucotermes. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 46, 363–402.
  6. ↑ Watson, J. A. L., & McMahan, E. A. (1978). Polyethism in the Australian harvester termite Drepanotermes (Isoptera, Termitinae). Insectes Sociaux, 25(1), 53–62.
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