Comatermes perfectus 完美毛白蚁
- Type locality
- (country unknown): ?
- Distribution
- Central America, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, South America, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Caribbean, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago
List: English (genus page) · 中文 · Español
Summary
Comatermes perfectus is the only extant species of the genus Comatermes, in the family KALOTERMITIDAE. The species was described by Hagen in 1858; the type locality is (country unknown): ?. Distribution: Central America, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, South America, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Caribbean, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago. This site records 1 junior synonym for the species.
Etymology
Genus name Comatermes: From Greek komē (hair) + Latin termes.
Specific epithet perfectus: Latin perfectus (perfect)
Taxonomic position
- Family: KALOTERMITIDAE — 23 genera, 480 species
- Genus: Comatermes — monotypic, 1 species
Distribution
- Distribution records: Central America, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, South America, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Caribbean, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago
The record above follows the wording of the original data; no geocoding or standardized place names have been applied.
Junior synonyms
This site records 1 junior synonym for the species, listed by its original literature source:
- Kalotermes (Neotermes) manni Snyder, 1926: 6 — type locality: Bolivia: La Paz: near mouth of Mapiri [ 15.1131S 67.69W ]
In older literature, regional checklists and database searches, this species may appear under the synonym Kalotermes (Neotermes) manni; this site treats it under Comatermes perfectus.
Morphology
The description below is paraphrased from the original or a later revision, by caste; the source is cited at the end.
Diagnostic characters
Monotypic genus; the alate wing venation resembles that of Paraneotermes and Ceratokalotermes, but the head and pronotum bear very long, fine, slightly undulate setae; the soldier differs from Ceratokalotermes, in which the anterior dorsal surface of the head has two distinct lobes and the anterior margin of the pronotum is raised and deeply concave, and from Paraneotermes, whose mandibles are short and stout.
Alate
Dark brown; head and pronotum with very long, fine, slightly undulate setae; eye small, 0.29–0.31 mm in diameter, the ocellus touching the compound eye; antennal segments 14; the posterior margins of marginal teeth 1 and 2 of the left mandible as long as the anterior margin of marginal tooth 3; pronotum broader than the head; radial sector with 9–10 branches; media less strongly sclerotised than the radial sector, with many cross-veins between it and the radial sector; arolium present.
Soldier
Head usually long, sometimes long-headed and short-headed forms occurring in the same species; head flattened dorsoventrally; frontal concavity central, the anterior part hollowed, the anterior dorsal surface with two weak swellings; eye colourless; antennal segments 13–14, the third not specialised, as long as the second; mandibles stout, relatively short for the head length; pronotum as broad as the head, the anterior margin shallowly and broadly concave; femora inflated.
This genus is monotypic, containing only this species; the following is the genus-level description based on the original literature; species-level measurements and intraspecific variation are given in the original.
Distribution map
Aggregated from GBIF occurrence records on a 1° grid; only extant taxa of this checklist are used, so fossil records are excluded. Dot size and shade show the number of records inside a cell.
Related papers
Cached papers for this genus (matched automatically, for reference); to search this species with its junior synonyms merged in, use the literature search.
- Kalotermes sinaicus Kemner (Isoptera, Kalotermitidae): new morphological and genetic evidence, and assignment to the new genus Longicaputermes gen. nov
Abstract
- Characterization of new cristamonad species from kalotermitid termites including a novel genus, Runanympha
Abstract
Cristamonadea is a large class of parabasalian protists that reside in the hindguts of wood-feeding insects, where they play an essential role in the digestion of lignocellulose. This group of symbionts boasts an impressive array of complex morphological characteristics, many of which have evolved multiple times independently. However, their diversity is understudied and molecular data remain scarce. Here we describe seven new species of cristamonad symbionts from Comatermes, Calcaritermes, and Rugitermes termites from Peru and Ecuador. To classify these new species, we examined cells by light and scanning electron microscopy, sequenced the symbiont small subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and carried out barcoding of the mitochondrial large subunit rRNA gene of the hosts to confirm host identification. Based on these data, five of the symbionts characterized here represent new species within described genera: Devescovina sapara n. sp., Devescovina aymara n. sp., Macrotrichomonas ashaninka n. sp., Macrotrichomonas secoya n. sp., and Macrotrichomonas yanesha n. sp. Additionally, two symbionts with overall morphological characteristics similar to the poorly-studied and probably polyphyletic 'joeniid' Parabasalia are classified in a new genus Runanympha n. gen.: Runanympha illapa n. sp., and Runanympha pacha n. sp.
- SURVEY OF THE TERMITES (ISOPTERA: KALOTERMITIDAE, RHINOTERMITIDAE, TERMITIDAE) OF NICARAGUA
Abstract
The termite fauna of Nicaragua is poorly known relative to that of other Central American countries such as Costa Rica and Panama (Constantino 1998; Nickle & Collins 1992). Maes (1990) published a list of 10 termite species from Nicaragua based on published records. Maes’ 1990 list consists of termites that can be grouped as arboreal nesters (3 Nasutitermes spp.), epigeal or soil nesters (3 Microcerotermes spp.), structure-infesting subterranean species (2 Coptotermes spp., 1 Heterotermes sp.), and two drywood/dampwood species (1 Incisitermes sp. and 1 Neotermes sp.). Termites with more cryptic habits, such as those that nest and forage in the soil or solely in wood were underrepresented in Maes’ list. This note presents the results of an initial survey of Nicaragua intended to systematically catalog all termite taxa of that country. During 30 May-5 June 2004, we collected 938 termite colony samples from 46 localities along roadsides and trails in as many geographically and ecologically diverse habitats as time and accessibility permitted (Fig. 1). Our survey yielded 35 species in 19 genera and three families representing one of the more diverse termite faunas in Mesoamerica (Constantino 1998). All species listed by Maes (1990) were collected by us, however, the validity of Coptotermes crassus Snyder and Cop. niger Snyder remain uncertain (R. H. Scheffrahn, unpublished data). We have identified all 54 of our Coptotermes samples as Co. testaceus (Linnaeus), but we herein report all three as being present in Nicaragua based on their current status, bringing the total faunal count for Nicaragua to 37 species, including 27 new species records (Table 1). Identifications were made by Krecek and Scheffrahn, and specimens are housed in the University of Florida Termite Collection, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center. Our survey established significant new southern range extensions for Incisitermes nigritus (Snyder), Marginitermes hubbardi (Banks), Tenuirostritermes briciae (Snyder), T. incisus (Snyder), and Amitermes cryptodon Light (Table 1). We also report new northern range extensions for Calcaritermes brevicollis (Banks), Comatermes perfectus (Hagen), Cryptotermes dudleyi Banks, Glyptotermes angustus (Snyder), G. contracticornis (Snyder), Anoplotermes parvus Snyder, A. pyriformis Snyder, Atlantitermes kirbyi (Snyder), and Embiratermes chagresi (Snyder). The collections of Cryptotermes brevis (Walker), Cr. longicollis Banks, I. immigrans (Snyder), Neotermes castaneus (Burmeister), Amitermes beaumonti Banks, Coptotermes spp., Heterotermes convexinotatus (Snyder), Hoplotermes amplus Light, Microcerotermes arboreus Emerson, M. exiguus (Hagen), and M. gracilis Light join previously known ranges north and south of Nicaragua. We collected three apparently new species of soldierless termites (Termitidae: Apicotermitinae) and a new species of Nasutitermitinae that are likely members of undescribed genera. It is probable that several more described and new termite species remain to be discovered in Nicaragua considering the country’s size, centralized location, diversity of habitat, and the geographically limited extent of the current survey (Fig. 1). We thank Jean-Michel Maes, Museo Entomologico, Leon for collecting permits and Danilo Barquero for logistical assistance while in Nicaragua. W. H. Kern Jr. and Brian J. Cabrera reviewed this contribution No. R-10475 of the University of Florida, Agricultural Experiment Station, Journal Series.
Papers on this species, synonyms included → OpenAlex Google Scholar CNKI
Abstracts come from open metadata; copyright remains with the original authors/publishers. For reference only — please check the original.
Cite this species
Citation strings are generated from the fields of this page; please keep the DOI and the version number when citing.
GB/T 7714
班奈特格林. Extant Isoptera (termites): a checklist of Latin and Chinese names: Comatermes perfectus 完美毛白蚁[EB/OL]. Version 2026.10.30. https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/comatermes-perfectus/. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836.
BibTeX
@misc{isoptera_comatermes_perfectus_2026,
author = {班奈特格林},
title = {Comatermes perfectus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites)},
year = {2026},
version = {2026.10.30},
howpublished = {https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/comatermes-perfectus/},
note = {KALOTERMITIDAE; version 2026.10.30; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.23646836}
}
RIS
TY - ELEC TI - Comatermes perfectus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites) AU - 班奈特格林 PY - 2026 UR - https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/comatermes-perfectus/ DO - 10.5281/zenodo.23646836 ER -