Rhinotermitidae

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.

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

Subfamilies and Genera

WikiSpecies and the Termite Catalogue[1] list the following:

Coptotermitinae

Auth.: Holmgren, 1910

Heterotermitinae

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

Prorhinotermitinae

Auth.: Quennedey & Deligne, 1975

Psammotermitinae

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

Rhinotermitinae

Auth.: Froggatt, 1897

Termitogetoninae

Auth.: Holmgren, 1910

  • Termitogeton

incertae sedis

References
  1. Termite Catalogue (retrieved 12 July 2019)

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

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