Termitaradus dominicanus

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Termitaradus dominicanus
Temporal range: Burdigalian?
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Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Termitaphididae
Genus: Termitaradus
Species:
†T. dominicanus
Binomial name
†Termitaradus dominicanus
Poinar, 2011

Termitaradus dominicanus is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from a Miocene [1] 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 . [2] [3]

Contents

History and classification

Termitaradus dominicanus is known from a single fossil insect which is an inclusion in a transparent chunk of Dominican amber 13 by 10 by 5 millimetres (0.51 by 0.39 by 0.20 in) in size. The amber specimen, HE-4-52, is currently housed in the fossil collection of the University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, California. The holotype fossil is composed of a complete adult individual that was collected from an unidentified amber mine between Puerto Plata and Santiago de los Caballeros. [2] Dominican amber is recovered from fossil-bearing rocks in the Cordillera Septentrional mountains of the northern Dominican Republic. The amber dates from at least the Burdigalian stage of the Miocene, based on studying the associated fossil foraminifera, and may be as old as the Middle Eocene, based on the associated fossil coccoliths. Due to the host rock being secondary deposits for the amber, the age range is only the youngest that it might be. [2] The holotype was first studied by paleoentomologists George Poinar Jr. of Oregon State University and Ernst Heiss of Innsbruck, Austria. Poinar's 2011 type description of the species was published in the paleontology journal Palaeodiversity . The specific epithet dominicanus was coined as a reference to the country of the type locality, the Dominican Republic. [2]

Description

The Termitaradus dominicanus holotype is a well preserved and complete female. The individual is estimated to have been 6.4 millimetres (0.25 in) long and 4.3 millimetres (0.17 in) wide with an overall dark brown coloration on its upperside and light brown on its underside. Each side of the body is segmented into fourteen distinct lobules, each with a group of between two and four setae in a hardened coating. [2] The head has small antennae that are composed of four antennomeres. Termitaradus dominicanus differs from T. avitinquilinus which has terminal setae that are serrated and is smaller overall, being 3.6 millimetres (0.14 in). In contrast, T. mitnicki has a network of raised ridges on its upper side and a body plan that is divided into only thirteen lobes rather than fourteen as seen in T. dominicanus and has a single serrated seta per lobe. [2] T. mitnicki is also slightly shorter in length at 5.8 millimetres (0.23 in) and the largest species is the Mexican amber species T. protera with a length of 7.1 millimetres (0.28 in). [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Triatoma dominicana</i> Extinct species of true bug

Triatoma dominicana is an extinct species of assassin bug in the subfamily Triatominae, the kissing bugs known from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

Termitaphididae Family of true bugs

Termitaphididae, occasionally called termite bugs, is a small tropicopolitan family of true bugs placed in the superfamily Aradoidea. Typically members of Termitaphididae are small, being an average of 2 millimetres (0.079 in)-4 millimetres (0.16 in), and flattened with laminae extending out from each body segment giving a round scale like appearance. Currently the family contains two genera and twelve known species. Members of Termitaphididae are inquilines lodging in the nests of host species of termite families Termitidae and Rhinotermitidae. Though considered a separate family in Aradoidea it has been suggested by Drs David Grimaldi and Michael Engel in 2008 that Termataphididae may in fact be highly derived members of Aradidae. Of the thirteen known species one Termitaphis circumvallata belongs to the monotypic genus Termitaphis and four of the remaining eleven species in Termitaradus are extinct, having only been found in amber. The living species are found worldwide in the tropical regions of Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

<i>Termitaradus</i> Genus of true bugs

Termitaradus is a small tropicopolitan genus of true bugs placed in the family Termitaphididae. As is typical for the family, living members of Termitaradus are small, being an average of 2 millimetres (0.079 in) to 4 millimetres (0.16 in), and flattened with laminae extending out from each body segment giving a round scale like appearance. The same is true for the extinct species with the exception of T. protera which reaches 7 millimetres (0.28 in) in length. All members of Termitaphididae are inquilines lodging in the nests of host species of termites, with Termitaradus species known only from the family Rhinotermitidae. Though considered a separate family in Aradoidea it has been suggested by Drs David Grimaldi and Michael Engel in 2008 that Termataphididae may in fact be highly derived members of Aradidae. The second genus placed in Termitaphididae, Termitaphis, contains the monotypic species Termitaphis circumvallata which inhabits nests of Termitidae (termites) in Colombia.

<i>Termitaradus mitnicki</i> Extinct species of true bug

Termitaradus mitnicki is an extinct species of true bug in the family Termitaphididae known only from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

Termitaradus protera is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from several Late Oligocene to Early Miocene fossils found in Mexico. T. protera is the only species in the extant genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Mexican amber and is one of four species from new world amber; the others are Termitaradus avitinquilinus, Termitaradus dominicanus and Termitaradus mitnicki. T. protera was also the first termite bug described from the fossil record.

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.

Syndesus ambericus is an extinct species of stag beetles in the subfamily Syndesinae known from a single possibly Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. S. ambericus is the first species of stag beetle to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of four species from amber, and the only stag beetle species known from the Caribbean.

Anthophorula (Anthophorula) persephone is an extinct species of bee in the subfamily Apinae known from a pair of possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. A. persephone is the first species of the bee tribe Exomalopsini to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is the only species of Anthophorula found in the West Indies.

<i>Acanthostichus hispaniolicus</i> Extinct species of ant

Acanthostichus hispaniolicus is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Dorylinae known from a group of possibly Miocene fossils found on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. A. hispaniolicus is the first species of the ant genus Acanthostichus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber, and is the only species of Acanthostichus found in the West Indies.

<i>Acropyga glaesaria</i> Extinct species of ant

Acropyga glaesaria is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Formicinae known from a group of possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. A. glaesaria is the first species of the ant genus Acropyga to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is the one of several species of Acropyga found in the West Indies. As with other members of the genus, A. glaesaria was most likely trophobiotic.

Acanthognathus poinari is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a single possibly Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. A. poinari is the first species of the ant genus Acanthognathus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of several species of Acanthognathus found in the Greater Antillies.

<i>Anochetus conisquamis</i> Extinct species of ant

Anochetus conisquamis is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae known from one possibly Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. A. conisquamis is one of eight species in the ant genus Anochetus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of a number of Anochetus species found in the Greater Antilles.

<i>Anochetus corayi</i> Extinct species of ant

Anochetus corayi is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae known from one possibly Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. A. corayi is one of eight species in the ant genus Anochetus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of a number of Anochetus species found in the Greater Antillies.

<i>Anochetus intermedius</i> Extinct species of ant

Anochetus intermedius is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae known from two possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. A. intermedius is one of eight species in the ant genus Anochetus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of a number of Anochetus species found in the Greater Antilles.

Pseudarmadillo cristatus is an extinct species of isopod (woodlouse) in the family Delatorreiidae known from a series of possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. At the time of description P. cristatus was one of two Pseudarmadillo species known from the fossil record and one of only two from Hispaniola.

Pseudarmadillo tuberculatus is an extinct species of isopod in the family Delatorreiidae known from a series of possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. At the time of description P. tuberculatus was one of two Pseudarmadillo species known from the fossil record and one of only two from Hispaniola.

Apterostigma electropilosum is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a single possibly Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. A. electropilosum is one of only two species of the ant genus Apterostigma and one of five attini species to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber.

Apterostigma eowilsoni is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a single possibly Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. A. eowilsoni is one of only two species of the ant genus Apterostigma and one of five attini species of to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber.

<i>Zatania electra</i> Extinct species of ant

Zatania electra is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Formicinae known from three possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. Z. electra is one of several Zatania species found in the Greater Antilles.

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.

References

  1. ↑ Iturralde-Vinent, M.A.; MacPhee, R.D.E. (1996). "Age and Paleogeographical Origin of Dominican Amber". Science. 273 (5283): 1850–1852. Bibcode:1996Sci...273.1850I. doi:10.1126/science.273.5283.1850. S2CID   129754021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Poinar, G.; Heiss, E. (2011). "New Termitaphididae and Aradidae (Hemiptera) in Mexican and Dominican amber" (PDF). Palaeodiversity. 4: 51–62.
  3. 1 2 Engel, M.S. (2009). "A new termite bug in Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic (Hemiptera, Termitaphididae)". ZooKeys (25): 61–68. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.25.267 .
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