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

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Macrognathotermes errator Miller, 1991 游荡长颚白蚁

Species · * Type species

Type locality
Australia: Northern Territory: Milingimbi
Distribution
Australia, Papua New Guinea

List: English (genus page) · 中文 · Español

Summary

Macrognathotermes errator is a species and the type species of the genus Macrognathotermes, in the family TERMITIDAE (subfamily Termitinae). The species was described by Miller in 1991; the type locality is Australia: Northern Territory: Milingimbi. Distribution: Australia, Papua New Guinea.

Etymology

Genus name Macrognathotermes: From Greek makros (large) + gnathos (jaw) + Latin termes.

Specific epithet errator: Latin errator (wanderer)

Taxonomic position

Distribution

  • Distribution records: Australia, Papua New Guinea

The record above follows the wording of the original data; no geocoding or standardized place names have been applied.

Morphology

A species-level description from the original literature has not yet been compiled for this page. Original description: Miller, 1991. See the genus page for the genus-level description; this page will be updated after the original text is checked.

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.

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83 records · 31 grid cells · GeoJSON · Macrognathotermes · checklist extant taxa only

Other databases

The links below are produced by matching the scientific name against public APIs, for cross-checking. The checklist data itself is unchanged.

✔ Consistent with the accepted names in GBIF and Catalogue of Life.

Sources:GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · Catalogue of Life (3LR, 2026-10-14 · doi:10.48580/dgzh4) · Wikidata (P225) · Blattodea Species File. Retrieved on 2026-11-13 (UTC). Matching method and decision rules are described on the data page.

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Records follow the original literature; please attach an evidence link.

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.

  1. Revision of the Termitinae with snapping soldiers (Isoptera: Termitidae) from New Guinea

    Thomas Bourguignon, Maurice Leponce, Yves Roisin · 2008 · Zootaxa

    Abstract

    Up to now, three described species of Termitinae with snapping soldier mandibles (the Termes–Capritermes group) were known from New Guinea: Termes odontomachus (Desneux), Macrognathotermes errator Miller and Pericapritermes schultzei (Holmgren). Here, we report the presence of seven additional species, among which three are new to science: Pericapritermes parvus, P. pilosus and P. papuanus. The other four, collected in southern Papuan savannas, were previously known from northern Australia: Ephelotermes paleatus Miller, E. cheeli (Mjöberg), Lophotermes aduncus Miller, and L. brevicephalus Miller. We reassign T. odontomachus to Protocapritermes Holmgren. Diagnostic characters andillustrations are provided for all species. The Oriental affinities of the forest fauna of New Guinea and the similarities between Australian and New Guinean savannas are emphasized.

  2. A molecular survey of Australian and North American termite genera indicates that vertical inheritance is the primary force shaping termite gut microbiomes

    Nurdyana Abdul Rahman, Donovan H. Parks, Dana L. Willner, Anna L Engelbrektson, Shana K. Goffredi, Falk Warnecke, Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, Philip Hugenholtz et al. · 2015 · Microbiome

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: Termites and their microbial gut symbionts are major recyclers of lignocellulosic biomass. This important symbiosis is obligate but relatively open and more complex in comparison to other well-known insect symbioses such as the strict vertical transmission of Buchnera in aphids. The relative roles of vertical inheritance and environmental factors such as diet in shaping the termite gut microbiome are not well understood. RESULTS: The gut microbiomes of 66 specimens representing seven higher and nine lower termite genera collected in Australia and North America were profiled by small subunit (SSU) rRNA amplicon pyrosequencing. These represent the first reported culture-independent gut microbiome data for three higher termite genera: Tenuirostritermes, Drepanotermes, and Gnathamitermes; and two lower termite genera: Marginitermes and Porotermes. Consistent with previous studies, bacteria comprise the largest fraction of termite gut symbionts, of which 11 phylotypes (6 Treponema, 1 Desulfarculus-like, 1 Desulfovibrio, 1 Anaerovorax-like, 1 Sporobacter-like, and 1 Pirellula-like) were widespread occurring in ≥50% of collected specimens. Archaea are generally considered to comprise only a minority of the termite gut microbiota (<3%); however, archaeal relative abundance was substantially higher and variable in a number of specimens including Macrognathotermes, Coptotermes, Schedorhinotermes, Porotermes, and Mastotermes (representing up to 54% of amplicon reads). A ciliate related to Clevelandella was detected in low abundance in Gnathamitermes indicating that protists were either reacquired after protists loss in higher termites or persisted in low numbers across this transition. Phylogenetic analyses of the bacterial communities indicate that vertical inheritance is the primary force shaping termite gut microbiota. The effect of diet is secondary and appears to influence the relative abundance, but not membership, of the gut communities. CONCLUSIONS: Vertical inheritance is the primary force shaping the termite gut microbiome indicating that species are successfully and faithfully passed from one generation to the next via trophallaxis or coprophagy. Changes in relative abundance can occur on shorter time scales and appear to be an adaptive mechanism for dietary fluctuations.

  3. Vibrational signatures and mimicry in ant-termite and termite-termite interactions

    Sebastian M. Oberst, Joseph C. S. Lai, Theodore Evans · 2026 · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

    Abstract

    Eusocial insects fascinate researchers with their sophisticated communication systems and sensory specialisations. Ants and termites have coexisted in a long-standing predator–prey arms race, offering insight into the interplay between ecology and evolution. The subterranean termite Coptotermes acinaciformis can detect the predatory ant Iridomyrmex purpureus through footstep-induced vibrations, triggering defensive responses. Ants produce noisier walking signatures than termites, while the inquiline termite Macrognathotermes sunteri walks more quietly than its host, suggesting species-specific vibroacoustic strategies. Using statistical analysis of video-tracked motion and footstep vibrations in confined arenas across six ant and ten termite species, we show that C. acinaciformis, despite its body size, moves more smoothly than ants, which alternate between directed and erratic paths. Inquiline termites, by contrast, displayed erratic movements. Ants consistently produced stronger vibrations closely linked to body mass, while Highly Comparative Time Series Analysis revealed termite motions approaching chaotic dynamics. Notably, while C. acinaciformis and I. purpureus produced distinct vibrational signatures, M. sunteri ’s signals overlapped with its host, consistent with vibroacoustic mimicry. Although the ecological nature of this association remains unresolved, our findings underscore the central role of vibrational cues in shaping interspecific dynamics and highlight vibroacoustic communication as an underappreciated driver of social insect ecology and evolution.

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.

Literature notes

Edited notes based on the original literature, not transcriptions. The source markers in each paragraph point to archived records in .sources; full citations are listed below.

First official record for north Australian savanna

According to the abstract, Dawes-Gromadzki (2008) recorded Macrognathotermes errator in savanna woodland sites in Charles Darwin National Park, Northern Territory, Australia — the first official record of this species for north Australian savanna.

References

Literature notes updated: 2026-11-12.

Other species in Macrognathotermes (3 species)

See all species on the genus page →

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: Macrognathotermes errator 游荡长颚白蚁[EB/OL]. Version 2026.10.30. https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/macrognathotermes-errator/. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836.

BibTeX

@misc{isoptera_macrognathotermes_errator_2026,
  author       = {班奈特格林},
  title        = {Macrognathotermes errator: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites)},
  year         = {2026},
  version      = {2026.10.30},
  howpublished = {https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/macrognathotermes-errator/},
  note         = {TERMITIDAE; version 2026.10.30; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.23646836}
}

RIS

TY  - ELEC
TI  - Macrognathotermes errator: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites)
AU  - 班奈特格林
PY  - 2026
UR  - https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/macrognathotermes-errator/
DO  - 10.5281/zenodo.23646836
ER  -