Extant Isoptera Latin–Chinese name comparison list
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Extant Isoptera (Termites) — Latin–Chinese Name Comparison List 现存等翅下目（白蚁）拉丁学名—中文正名对照名录

Latin names · Chinese names · bilingual checklist — 13 families · 18 subfamilies · 326 genera · 3021 species · 68 subspecies

Family Termitidae · 白蚁科

18 subfamilies · 280 genera · 2144 species, 54 subspecies

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52763 records · 2023 grid cells · 2129 species · GeoJSON · checklist extant taxa only

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Acanthotermes acanthothorax 刺胸刺白蚁（(c) Annika Lindqvist, some rights reserved (CC BY)，CC BY）
(c) Annika Lindqvist, some rights reserved (CC BY) CC BYiNaturalist
Acanthotermes acanthothorax 刺胸刺白蚁（(c) Annika Lindqvist, some rights reserved (CC BY)，CC BY）
(c) Annika Lindqvist, some rights reserved (CC BY) CC BYiNaturalist
Amitermes californicus 加州弓白蚁（(c) Jake Nitta, some rights reserved (CC BY)，CC BY）
(c) Jake Nitta, some rights reserved (CC BY) CC BYiNaturalist
Amitermes californicus 加州弓白蚁（(c) Jake Nitta, some rights reserved (CC BY)，CC BY）
(c) Jake Nitta, some rights reserved (CC BY) CC BYiNaturalist
Amitermes californicus 加州弓白蚁（(c) Jake Nitta, some rights reserved (CC BY)，CC BY）
(c) Jake Nitta, some rights reserved (CC BY) CC BYiNaturalist
Amitermes californicus 加州弓白蚁（(c) Jake Nitta, some rights reserved (CC BY)，CC BY）
(c) Jake Nitta, some rights reserved (CC BY) CC BYiNaturalist

About the family

The family Termitidae was established by Latreille in 1802, with the type genus Termes Linnaeus, 1758. The family name is formed from the type genus stem Termit- plus the family-level suffix -idae. This checklist records 280 genera and 2144 species.

This family has a pantropical distribution, with representatives in all major zoogeographic regions of the tropics and subtropics, and a few species extending into warm-temperate zones. Its feeding habits are the most diverse among termite families, encompassing wood-feeding, grass-feeding, leaf-litter-feeding, humus-feeding and fungus-cultivating types; a few species feed on lichens and algae growing on bark (such as the genus Constrictotermes), while inquilinous species feed on the nest material and feces of their host nest (such as the genus Inquilinitermes); about sixty percent of species are specialized soil-humus feeders. Unlike other families, the hindgut of this family is highly compartmentalized, and its digestive symbionts are dominated by bacteria and archaea. The most conspicuous shared feature of termitid soldiers is the unpaired, sac-like frontal gland (35), whose external opening is the fontanelle, yet defensive strategies diverge along this structure. The Nasutitermitinae is the largest subfamily of the family; in it the front of the soldier's head is prolonged into a conical nasus, the mandibles are reduced, and the soldier relies entirely on the frontal gland to eject a sticky secretion through the fontanelle at the tip of the nasus to entangle enemies; the Syntermitinae, which also possess a nasus, retain well-developed mandibles and employ both mechanical and chemical defense. The other extreme is seen in the snapping-mandible groups of the Mirocapritermitinae, such as the genus Pericapritermes, which repel enemies by a sudden crosswise strike of the two mandibles, while the frontal gland is poorly developed; Globitermes sulphureus goes even further, using rupture of the frontal gland for suicidal defense. A few lineages of the family have lost the soldier caste, the Neotropical species of the Apicotermitinae being one example, in which defense is undertaken entirely by the workers. In the alates the pronotum is saddle-shaped, the hind wing lacks an anal lobe and has simplified venation, and a fontanelle and ocelli are present; in the workers the postclypeus is swollen into a globular form and the hindgut has a mixed segment, and the antennae usually have 13-15 segments, while those of the soldiers usually have 12-16 segments. The detailed diagnostic characters of the soldiers and workers of each subfamily are given in the following subfamily sections. Nesting patterns are diverse, including subterranean nests, surface mounds and arboreal carton nests, and the nests of this family are the most conspicuous ecological-engineering structures of tropical forests and savannas. The Termitidae is the most species-rich group within the Neoisoptera; it began to radiate around the end of the Eocene and underwent a rapid internal radiation during the Paleogene.

The family is currently divided into 18 subfamilies (21): Amitermitinae (14 genera, 194 species), Apicotermitinae (68 genera, 241 species), Crepititermitinae (1 genera, 1 species), Cubitermitinae (28 genera, 149 species), Cylindrotermitinae (2 genera, 9 species), Engelitermitinae (1 genera, 1 species), Foraminitermitinae (3 genera, 10 species), Forficulitermitinae (1 genera, 1 species), Macrotermitinae (12 genera, 373 species), Microcerotermitinae (2 genera, 150 species), Mirocapritermitinae (14 genera, 135 species), Nasutitermitinae (81 genera, 606 species), Neocapritermitinae (3 genera, 20 species), Promirotermitinae (2 genera, 39 species), Protohamitermitinae (2 genera, 2 species), Sphaerotermitinae (1 genera, 1 species), Syntermitinae (22 genera, 105 species), and Termitinae (23 genera, 107 species). The economic damage caused by this family is detailed under each subfamily.

This section is the standing account the site maintains for this rank and is updated on this page as the classification is revised; the checklist index is in the Checklist.

Fauna Sinica account

The account below is a reorganized and rewritten adaptation of the family-level description in Fauna Sinica, Insecta Vol. 17, Isoptera (2000) (original work, section on the family Termitidae); the source keys and measurement tables are not reproduced here.

Morphology

Key characters

The largest family in the Isoptera, comprising about three-quarters of all species; its members are soil-dwelling higher termites, nesting mostly underground or within earthen mounds. The book divides it into five subfamilies: the Termitinae, the Amitermitinae, the Macrotermitinae, the Nasutitermitinae, and the Apicotermitinae established separately by Grasse and Noirot in 1954. Soldiers and workers are often markedly polymorphic, and a few groups lack soldiers. The soldier's pronotum is narrower than the head, its anterior margin upturned and saddle-shaped; a fontanelle is present; the cerci have one to two segments and the tarsi three to four. The alate has only one or two marginal teeth on the left mandible; the forewing and hindwing scales are separate, the forewing scale slightly larger; the radial vein is reduced or lost; the postclypeus is large and convex, and the fontanelle is prominent.

Biology and economic significance

All members of this family are soil-dwelling, nesting underground, in earthen mounds, in tree trunks or inside buildings. Groups such as the Macrotermitinae cultivate fungus combs in the nest to break down wood; they are important decomposers in tropical and subtropical ecosystems and at the same time major pests of crops, forest trees and buildings.

Distribution

The family is most flourishing in the tropics and subtropics; southern China is rich in species, and it is distributed throughout the provinces and regions south of the Yangtze River, being especially concentrated in the mountains of South China and the Southwest.

Summary

The largest family of Isoptera, holding about three quarters of all species and comprising the higher, soil-dwelling termites. The 2000 account recognises five subfamilies, with soldiers and workers often strongly polymorphic and a few groups lacking soldiers. Soldiers have a saddle-shaped pronotum narrower than the head, a fontanelle, one or two cereal segments and three or four tarsal segments; alates have one or two left marginal teeth, separate wing scales and a reduced radial sector.

Taxonomic note: The original work adopts the five-subfamily system and leaves within this family such groups as the genus Indotermes, which have since been proposed for separate family rank; this site follows the current system, so this page is an adapted account of the general characters of the original work's Termitidae, and the placement of individual genera follows the list.

Sources cited: Huang Fusheng, Zhu Shimo, Ping Zhengming, Wang Zhiguo, Li Can and Xu Chungui, 2000. Fauna Sinica, Insecta Vol. 17, Isoptera. Beijing: Science Press. This text is a reorganized adaptation, not a verbatim transcription.

Morphological keys

Every key on this page states its source table by table. The order-level key to families and subfamilies, and the key to subfamilies of Termitidae, are translated from the molecular supplement of Hellemans et al. (2024); the 13-family classification adopted there is linked from the family pages. Measurements and figure numbers are generally omitted. For the terminology used in the keys (mandible, fontanelle, tarsus, tibial spur, wing scale and so on), see Termite basics.

Key to the subfamilies of TermitidaeWorker and soldierHellemans et al. (2024)17 couplets · 18 terminal taxa

Based mainly on worker gut anatomy and mandibular dentition, this key covers all 18 extant subfamilies of Isoptera; it is not entirely consistent with the subfamily system of the original book (2000), which was based on soldier and alate morphology; each endpoint links to the corresponding subfamily page on this site.

  1. 1 Worker gut: mixed segment absent; midgut well developed (length and diameter both conspicuous), visible in situ in dorsal view; junction of midgut and hindgut with 4 lobes (indistinct in some species); without Malpighian tubule knots or false Malpighian tubule knots → see couplet 2Worker gut: mixed segment present or absent; junction of the paunch and the colon (P3–P4) without conspicuous posterior setae; with Malpighian tubule knots or false Malpighian tubule knots → see couplet 3
  2. 2 Adult/worker: labrum with a dark sclerotised transverse band; anterior margin of the 3rd marginal tooth of the left mandible (LMt3) less than twice the length of its posterior margin → 大白蚁亚科 MacrotermitinaeAdult/worker: labrum without a dark sclerotised transverse band; anterior margin of LMt3 twice the length of its posterior margin or more; junction of P3–P4 in the worker gut with conspicuous posterior setae → 圆球白蚁亚科 Sphaerotermitinae
  3. 3 Worker gut: dorsal projection of P3b forming 2 loops and leaving the coil from the middle; with false Malpighian tubule knots; mixed segment absent; enteric valve (P2) without spines → 孔白蚁亚科 ForaminitermitinaeWorker gut: dorsal projection of P3b erect and directed posteriorly or forming a single loop, leaving the coil along the margin of the midgut; with Malpighian tubule knots; mixed segment present or absent; enteric valve (P2) with or without spines → see couplet 4
  4. 4 Worker gut: gizzard without columnar bands (degenerate type); mixed segment absent; ileum (P1) cylindrical, running as an elongated S along the left side of the abdomen; enteric valve (P2) composed of 6 smooth long pads, each with 1 spine at its apex → 恩格尔白蚁亚科 EngelitermitinaeWorker gut: gizzard with columnar bands (ordinary type) or without (degenerate type); mixed segment present or absent; P1 variable in shape; enteric valve (P2) variable in morphology → see couplet 5
  5. 5 Adult/worker: no distinct notch or depression between the 3rd marginal tooth of the left mandible (LMt3) and the fused first and second marginal teeth (LMt1+2); adult fontanelle slit-like, oval or circular; worker mixed segment (if present) situated outside the midgut loop → see couplet 6Adult/worker: distinct notch or depression between LMt3 and LMt1+2; adult fontanelle not slit-like, indistinct or oval, circular; worker mixed segment (if present) situated inside the midgut loop → 尖白蚁亚科 Apicotermitinae
  6. 6 Worker gut: paunch (P3) with a caecum or caecal pouch (also present in soldiers and adults) → see couplet 7Worker gut: paunch (P3) without a caecum or caecal pouch → see couplet 8
  7. 7 Worker gut: gizzard without columnar bands (degenerate type); caecal pouch situated ventrally; P1 swollen; enteric valve apparatus composed of 6 long pads and 6 smaller intermediate pads, the apparatus weak; usually with small Malpighian tubule knots (Ethiopian region) → 方白蚁亚科 CubitermitinaeWorker gut: gizzard with columnar bands (ordinary type); caecal pouch seen in right lateral view on the P3 projection; P1 tubular; enteric valve apparatus composed of 6 pads, without intermediate pads (Neotropical region) → 响白蚁亚科 Crepititermitinae
  8. 8 Worker gut: double mixed segment present or absent; soldier (always present): fontanelle opening at the tip of the frontal process or at the end of the nasus → see couplet 9Worker gut: double mixed segment absent; soldier (rarely absent): fontanelle on the front of the head or at the base of the frontal process (when the latter is present) → see couplet 10
  9. 9 Worker gut: double mixed segment present or absent; ileum (P1) dilated. Soldier: fontanelle wide, mandibles functional (Neotropical region) → 聚白蚁亚科 SyntermitinaeWorker gut: double mixed segment absent; ileum (P1) tubular. Soldier: fontanelle narrow, mandibles vestigial (cosmopolitan) → 象白蚁亚科 Nasutitermitinae
  10. 10 Worker gut: P1 tubular and long, forming a loop on the ventral side of P5; P1 inserting into P3 on the right side of the abdomen. Worker mandibles: molar region always ridged → see couplet 11Worker gut: P1 variable in shape (tubular or swollen), without a ventral loop; insertion of P1 on P3 variable; enteric valve on the right or left side of the abdomen. Worker mandibles: molar region ridged or not ridged → see couplet 12
  11. 11 Adult/worker: base of the 1st marginal tooth of the right mandible (RMt1) without an accessory tooth, 2nd marginal tooth (RMt2) not as described below. Soldier: present. Worker gut: P1 inserting dorsally on P3 (Ethiopian and Neotropical regions) → 圆筒白蚁亚科 CylindrotermitinaeAdult/worker: base of RMt1 with an accessory tooth, RMt2 well developed, anterior margin angular, posterior margin curved. Soldier: absent. Worker gut: P1 inserting posteroventrally on P3 (Oriental region) → 始钩白蚁亚科 Protohamitermitinae
  12. 12 Worker gut: usually with small Malpighian tubule knots, situated on the inner side of the midgut loop at the insertion of the Malpighian tubules. Soldier: frontal process well developed or extremely reduced → 白蚁亚科 TermitinaeWorker gut: without small Malpighian tubule knots (sometimes with an ampulla). Soldier: morphology variable → see couplet 13
  13. 13 Worker gut: P1 (position of the enteric valve) inserting into P3 on the left side of the abdomen → see couplet 14Worker gut: P1 (position of the enteric valve) inserting into P3 on the right side of the abdomen → see couplet 17
  14. 14 Worker gut: mixed segment absent. Soldier mandibles: not snapping → 剪白蚁亚科 ForficulitermitinaeWorker gut: mixed segment present → see couplet 15
  15. 15 Worker gut: junction of the mixed segment and the ileum (P1) constricted and folded ventrally, forming an acute angle with the anterior apex. Adult/worker: RMt2 directed forward, posterior margin elongated; molar region ridged → see couplet 16Worker gut: junction of the mixed segment and the ileum (P1) arched. Soldier: asymmetric snapping. Adult/worker: RMt2 with both margins subequal, posterior margin slightly concave; molar region smooth or very weakly ridged (Australian, Afrotropical, Palaearctic (China–Japan) and Papuan regions) → 瘤白蚁亚科 Mirocapritermitinae
  16. 16 Soldier mandibles: piercing (Onkotermes, Neotropical region) or cutting (Microcerotermes, Australian, Papuan, Oriental, Ethiopian and Neotropical regions) → 锯白蚁亚科 MicrocerotermitinaeSoldier mandibles: asymmetric or nearly symmetric snapping (Neotropical region) → 新扭白蚁亚科 Neocapritermitinae
  17. 17 Worker/soldier gut: P1 swollen or tubular. Soldier mandibles: crushing, piercing, cutting or symmetric snapping (only genera of the Neotropical region have symmetrically snapping mandibles); soldier head pear-shaped, without a frontal process (except Eremotermes and Dentispicotermes), labrum circular or slightly pointed at the apex → 弓白蚁亚科 AmitermitinaeWorker/soldier gut: P1 always swollen. Soldier: mandibles snapping symmetrically, head with a distinct frontal tubercle or frontal process; labrum bifurcate → 前奇白蚁亚科 Promirotermitinae

Sources: Hellemans S., Rocha M. M., Wang M. et al. (2024) Genomic data provide insights into the classification of extant termites. Nature Communications 15: 6724. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51028-y (supplementary Note 2, order-level key to families and subfamilies; Note 3, key to the subfamilies of Termitidae); taxa are linked to the checklist as currently used on this site, and names recorded in the original keys but not in our checklist have been removed from the keys.

Subfamilies (18)

Genera (280)

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