Nanotermes

Last updated

Nanotermes
Temporal range: Ypresian
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
ZooKeys-148-105-g001 Nanotermes isaacae.jpg
N. isaacae holotype
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Infraorder: Isoptera
Family: Termitidae
Genus: Nanotermes
Species:
N. isaacae
Binomial name
Nanotermes isaacae
Engel & Grimaldi, 2011

Nanotermes is an extinct genus of termites in the Isoptera family Termitidae known from only one Eocene fossil found in amber of the Cambay Basin (Gujarat, India). The genus contains a single described species, Nanotermes isaacae placed tentatively in the subfamily Termitinae. [1]

Contents

History and classification

Nanotermes is known from a single fossil, the holotype adult, which is an inclusion in a transparent chunk of Cambay amber. The amber specimen, "Tad-262", is currently housed in the fossil collection of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany in Lucknow, India. The holotype is composed of a mostly complete adult of indeterminate sex and minute overall size. Cambay amber dates to between 50 and 52 million years old, placing it in the Early to Mid Ypresian age of the Eocene, and was preserved in a brackish shore environment. The amber formed from a dammar type resin, which is produced mainly by trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. [2] The holotype specimen was recovered from the Tadkeshwar lignite mine, located in Gujarat State, during a collecting trip on 17–22 January 2010. [1] The fossil was first studied by paleoentomologists Michael S. Engel and David Grimaldi, both of the American Museum of Natural History. [1] Engel and Grimaldi's 2011 type description of the new genus and species was published in the online journal ZooKeys . [1] The genus name Nanotermes was coined as a combination of the Greek word nanos meaning "small" and Termes , the type genus of the Termitidae. This is in reference to the size of the adult, which is noted as possibly the smallest termite adult known. [1] The specific epithet isaacae is in honor of Charlotte Isaac, who discovered the holotype and "many other interesting inclusions". Nanotermes is the oldest member of the Termitidae to be described to date, with the prior oldest being from the Late Oligocene, 20 million years younger than the Cambay ambers. [1]

Description

Nanotermes adults have a coloration which ranges from dark brown on the majority of the head and abdomen, lightening to brown on the pronotum, labrum, and postclypeus. The color further pales on the legs and antennae to a light brown, and to a white strip along the labrum's apical margin. The holotype has a length of 2.0 mm (0.079 in) and sports wings that are 2.6 mm (0.10 in). [1] Adults have a slightly oval head which is longer than wide with a sparse distribution of setae. The antennae are generally moniliform in structure, thus having an appearance similar to a string of beads. They are composed of 12 segments (flagellomeres), which gradually increase in diameter from the base to the antenna tip. This is the lowest number of antennal segments found in the Termitidae, with some modern Syntermitinae genera coming close, having 13 segments. The presence of three pairs of spurs on the tibia is considered unusual for the Termitinae, leading Engel and Grimaldi to leave the fossil's placement among the Termitinae tentative. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mastotermitidae</span> Family of termites

Mastotermitidae is a family of termites with one sole living species, Mastotermes darwiniensis which is found only in northern Australia. The remaining genera of this family are only known from the fossil record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Termitidae</span> Family of termites

Termitidae is the largest family of termites consisting of 2,105 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.

<i>Deinodryinus areolatus</i> Extinct species of insect

Deinodryinus areolatus is an extinct species of Deinodryinus in the wasp family Dryinidae. The species is solely known from an Eocene fossil found in the Baltic region.

<i>Astreptolabis</i> Extinct genus of earwigs

Astreptolabis is an extinct genus of earwig in the Dermaptera family Pygidicranidae known from a group of Cretaceous fossils found in Myanmar. The genus contains two described species, Astreptolabis ethirosomatia and Astreptolabis laevis and is the sole member of the subfamily Astreptolabidinae.

<i>Prostylotermes</i> Extinct genus of termites

Prostylotermes is an extinct genus of termite in the isopteran family Stylotermitidae known from two Eocene fossils found in India. The genus contains a single described species, Prostylotermes kamboja.

Zophotermes is an extinct genus of termite in the Isoptera family Rhinotermitidae known from two Eocene fossils found in India. The genus contains a single described species, Zophotermes ashoki placed in the subfamily Prorhinotermitinae.

<i>Parastylotermes</i> Extinct genus of termites

Parastylotermes is an extinct genus of termite in the Isoptera family Stylotermitidae known from North America, Europe, and India. The genus contains five described species, Parastylotermes calico, Parastylotermes frazieri, Parastylotermes krishnai, Parastylotermes robustus, and Parastylotermes washingtonensis.

<i>Mastotermes</i> Genus of termites

Mastotermes is a genus of termites. The sole living species is Mastotermes darwiniensis, found only in northern Australia. A number of extinct taxa are known from fossils. It is a very peculiar insect, the most primitive termite alive. As such, it shows notable similarities to cockroaches in the family Cryptocercidae, the termites' closest relatives. These similarities include the anal lobe of the wing and the laying of eggs in bunches, rather than singly. The termites were traditionally placed in the Exopterygota, but such an indiscriminate treatment makes that group a paraphyletic grade of basal neopterans. Thus, the cockroaches, termites and their relatives are nowadays placed in a clade called Dictyoptera.

Mastotermes electromexicus is an extinct species of termite in the family Mastotermitidae known from a group of Late Oligocene to Early Miocene fossils found in Mexico. M. electromexicus is the only species in the genus Mastotermes to have been described from fossils found in Mexican amber and was the first member of the genus described from the New World. The only living species of Mastotermes is Mastotermes darwiniensis which is found in tropical regions of Northern Australia.

Termitaradus dominicanus is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from a Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. T. dominicanus is the third species in the genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber after Termitaradus avitinquilinus and Termitaradus mitnicki.

Termitaradus avitinquilinus is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from several possibly Miocene fossils found in the Dominican Republic. T. avitinquilinus is the first species in the genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of four species from New World amber, the others being Termitaradus protera, Termitaradus dominicanus and Termitaradus mitnicki.

<i>Electrostephanus</i> Extinct genus of wasps

Electrostephanus is an extinct genus of crown wasp in the hymenopteran family Stephanidae, and is the only genus placed in the subfamily Electrostephaninae. The genus contains four described species, E. brevicornis, E. neovenatus, E. janzeni, and E. petiolatus, placed in two subgenera E. (Electrostephanus) and E. (Electrostephanodes). Electrostephanus is known from several middle Eocene fossils which have been found in Europe.

Zigrasolabis is an extinct genus of earwig in the family Labiduridae known from Cretaceous fossils found in Myanmar. The genus contains a single described species, Zigrasolabis speciosa.

Toxolabis is an extinct genus of earwig in the dermapteran family Anisolabididae known from a Cretaceous fossil found in Burma. The genus contains a single described species, Toxolabis zigrasi.

Feroseta is an extinct genus of mantidfly in the neuropteran family Mantispidae known from a fossil found in North America, and which contains a single species, Feroseta prisca.

<i>Myanmyrma</i> Extinct genus of ants

Myanmyrma is an extinct genus of ants not placed into any Formicidae subfamily. Fossils of the single known species, Myanmyrma gracilis, are known from the Middle Cretaceous of Asia. The genus is one of several ants described from Middle Cretaceous ambers of Myanmar.

Cananeuretus is an extinct genus of ant in the Formicidae subfamily Aneuretinae, and is one of two Cretaceous genera of the subfamily. The genus contains a single described species Cananeuretus occidentalis and is known from one Late Cretaceous fossil which has been found in North America.

<i>Camelomecia</i> Extinct genus of ants

Camelomecia is an extinct genus of stem-group ants not placed into any Formicidae subfamily and probably not into Formicidae itself. Fossils of the single known species, Camelomecia janovitzi, are known from the Middle Cretaceous of Asia. The genus is one of several ants described from Middle Cretaceous ambers of Myanmar.

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

The Cubitermitinae are an Afrotropical subfamily of higher termites with 28 known genera and 147 species. The nests of most taxa are either subterranean or found within the mounds of other termite species. The most well known genus of this subfamily is Cubitermes, which commonly build epigeal nests with one or more caps used to shield the nest against rainfall, giving them a characteristic mushroom shape. Most members of this subfamily are soil-feeders.

The Cambay Shale Formation is an Early Eocene-aged geologic formation in the Cambay Basin, India. It varies in thickness from a few meters on the margins of the basin to more than 2,500m in the depressions. It directly overlies the Olpad Formation and is, in turn, overlain by the Anklesvar Formation in the southern part of the basin and by Kalol Formation in the northern part of the basin. Further north, the Cambay Shale, in its lower part, is gradually replaced by tongues of paralic-deltaic Kadi Formation and finally by Tharad Formation.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Engel, M.S.; Grimaldi, D.A.; Nascimbene, P.C.; Singh, H. (2011). "The termites of Early Eocene Cambay amber, with the earliest record of the Termitidae (Isoptera)". ZooKeys (148): 105–123. Bibcode:2011ZooK..148..105E. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.148.1797 . PMC   3264413 . PMID   22287892.
  2. Rust, J.; et al. (2010). "Biogeographic and evolutionary implications of a diverse paleobiota in amber from the early Eocene of India". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 107 (43): 18360–18365. Bibcode:2010PNAS..10718360R. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1007407107 . PMC   2972964 . PMID   20974929.