Nasutitermitinae
Subfamily of termites
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Nasutitermitinae is a near cosmopolitan subfamily of higher termites represented by 81 genera and 605 species.[2][3] The highly derived soldier caste exhibits vestigial mandibles and a protruding fontanellar process on the head, known as the nasus, from which they can "shoot" chemical weaponry. Notable genera include the notorious wood-eating Nasutitermes, and the conspicuous Hospitalitermes and Constrictotermes, both distinguished for their brazen habit of forming extensive foraging trails out in the open.
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| Nasutitermitinae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Hospitalitermes sp | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Blattodea |
| Infraorder: | Isoptera |
| Family: | Termitidae |
| Subfamily: | Nasutitermitinae Hare [1] |
| Genera | |
|
see text | |
Genera
The Termite Catalogue lists the following genera:[4]
- Aciculioiditermes
- Aciculitermes
- Afrosubulitermes
- Agnathotermes
- Ahmaditermes
- Ampoulitermes
- Angularitermes
- Anhangatermes
- Antillitermes
- Araujotermes
- Arcotermes
- Atlantitermes
- Australitermes
- Baucaliotermes
- Bulbitermes
- Caetetermes
- Caribitermes
- Ceylonitermellus
- Ceylonitermes
- Coarctotermes
- Coatitermes
- Coendutermes
- Constrictotermes
- Convexitermes
- Cortaritermes
- Cucurbitermes
- Cyranotermes
- Diversitermes
- Diwaitermes
- Eleanoritermes
- Emersonitermes
- Enetotermes
- Ereymatermes
- Eutermellus
- Fulleritermes
- Grallatotermes
- Havilanditermes
- Hirtitermes
- Hospitalitermes
- Kaudernitermes
- Lacessititermes
- Leptomyxotermes
- Leucopitermes
- Longipeditermes
- Macrosubulitermes
- Malagasitermes
- Malaysiotermes
- Mimeutermes
- Mironasutitermes
- Mycterotermes
- Nasopilotermes
- Nasutitermes
- Ngauratermes [5]
- Niuginitermes
- Obtusitermes
- Occasitermes
- Occultitermes
- Oriensubulitermes
- Paraconvexitermes
- Parvitermes
- Periaciculitermes
- Peribulbitermes
- Postsubulitermes
- Rhadinotermes
- Roonwalitermes
- Rotunditermes
- Rounditermes
- Sinonasutitermes
- Sinqasapatermes
- Snootitermes
- Spatulitermes
- Subulioiditermes
- Subulitermes
- Tarditermes
- Tenuirostritermes
- Thailanditermes
- Triangularitermes
- Trinervitermes
- Tumulitermes
- Velocitermes
- Verrucositermes
- Xiaitermes
Nasutes
The fontanellar gun is a defense mechanism in the form of a horn-like frontal projection (nasus) on the head of a specialized nasute soldier caste which is capable of expelling chemical weaponry at a distance, a trait exclusive to the subfamily Nasutitermitinae. It is primarily used to ward off predators such as ants.[6][7][8]
