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Nasutitermitinae

Subfamily of termites From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nasutitermitinae
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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 exposed to the open.

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Genera

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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
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Nasutes

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Termite nasute illustration (since reclassified as Nasutitermes corniger)

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]

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References

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