Termitaradus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Termitaradus | |
|---|---|
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| Termitaradus mitnicki female in Dominican amber | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Termitaphididae |
| Genus: | Termitaradus Myers, 1924 |
| Species | |
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see text | |
Termitaradus is a small tropicopolitan genus of true bugs placed in the family Termitaphididae.[1] 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.[1] All members of Termitaphididae are inquilines lodging in the nests of host species of termites, with Termitaradus species known only from the family Rhinotermitidae.[1] 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.[1] The second genus placed in Termitaphididae, Termitaphis, contains the monotypic species Termitaphis circumvallata which inhabits nests of Termitidae (termites) in Colombia.[1]
