Cubitermitinae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cubitermitinae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mushroom-shaped nest of Cubitermes sp. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Blattodea |
| Infraorder: | Isoptera |
| Family: | Termitidae |
| Subfamily: | Cubitermitinae Weidner, 1956: 99 |
The Cubitermitinae are an Afrotropical subfamily of higher termites with 28 known genera and 147 species.[1][2][3][4] The nests of most species 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.[5] Most members of this subfamily feed on soil humus. Due to their feeding habits, many species have a high pH within their digestive system, with Noditermes indoensis in particular exhibiting a pH around 12.28 within their anterior proctodeum; amongst the most alkaline environments known in a biological system.[6]