Termite

This article is about the social insects. For other uses, see Termite (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Thermite or Turmite.

Termite
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous – Recent
Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus)
Soldiers (red-coloured heads)
Workers (pale-coloured heads)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Cohort: Polyneoptera
Superorder: Dictyoptera
Order: Blattodea
Infraorder: Isoptera
Brullé, 1832
Families

Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial insects which consume a variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus. They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the soft-bodied and often unpigmented worker caste for which they have been commonly termed "white ants"; however, they are not ants, to which they are only distantly related.[3] About 2,972 extant species are currently described, 2,105 of which are members of the family Termitidae.

Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattodea (along with cockroaches). Termites were once classified in a separate order from cockroaches, but recent phylogenetic studies indicate that they evolved from cockroaches, as they are deeply nested within the group, and the sister group to wood eating cockroaches of the genus Cryptocercus. Previous estimates suggested the divergence took place during the Jurassic or Triassic. More recent estimates suggest that they have an origin during the Late Jurassic,[4] with the first fossil records in the Early Cretaceous.

Similarly to ants and some bees and wasps from the separate order Hymenoptera, most termites have an analogous "worker" and "soldier" caste system consisting of mostly sterile individuals which are physically and behaviorally distinct. Unlike ants, most colonies begin from sexually mature individuals known as the "king" and "queen" that together form a lifelong monogamous pair.[5] Also unlike ants, which undergo a complete metamorphosis, termites undergo an incomplete metamorphosis that proceeds through egg, nymph, and adult stages. Termite colonies are commonly described as superorganisms due to the collective behaviors of the individuals which form a self-governing entity: the colony itself.[6] Their colonies range in size from a few hundred individuals to enormous societies with several million individuals. Most species are rarely seen, having a cryptic life-history where they remain hidden within the galleries and tunnels of their nests for most of their lives.

Termites' success as a group has led to them colonizing almost every global landmass, with the highest diversity occurring in the tropics where they are estimated to constitute 10% of the animal biomass, particularly in Africa which has the richest diversity with more than 1000 described species.[7] They are important decomposers of decaying plant matter in the subtropical and tropical regions of the world, and their recycling of wood and plant matter is of considerable ecological importance. Many species are ecosystem engineers capable of altering soil characteristics such as hydrology, decomposition, nutrient cycling, vegetative growth, and consequently surrounding biodiversity through the large mounds constructed by certain species.[8]

Termites have several impacts on humans. They are a delicacy in the diet of some human cultures such as the Makiritare in the Alto Orinoco province of Venezuela, where they are commonly used as a spice.[9] They are also used in traditional medicinal treatments of various diseases and ailments, such as influenza, asthma, bronchitis, etc.[10][11] Termites are most famous for being structural pests; however, the vast majority of termite species are innocuous, with the regional numbers of economically significant species being: North America, 9; Australia, 16; Indian subcontinent, 26; tropical Africa, 24; Central America and the West Indies, 17. Of known pest species, 28 of the most invasive and structurally damaging belong to the genus Coptotermes.[12] The distribution of most known pest species is expected to increase over time as a consequence of climate change.[13] Increased urbanization and connectivity is also predicted to expand the range of some pest termites.[14]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference fossilworks was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Engel2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Termite". Merriam-Webster.com. 23 May 2023.
  4. ^ Evangelista, Dominic A.; Wipfler, Benjamin; Béthoux, Olivier; Donath, Alexander; Fujita, Mari; Kohli, Manpreet K.; Legendre, Frédéric; Liu, Shanlin; Machida, Ryuichiro; Misof, Bernhard; Peters, Ralph S. (2019-01-30). "An integrative phylogenomic approach illuminates the evolutionary history of cockroaches and termites (Blattodea)". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 286 (1895): 20182076. doi:10.1098/rspb.2018.2076. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 6364590. PMID 30963947.
  5. ^ Nalepa, Christine A.; Jones, Susan C. (February 1991). "Evolution of Monogamy in Termites". Biological Reviews. 66 (1): 83–97. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.1991.tb01136.x. ISSN 1464-7931. S2CID 84398573.
  6. ^ Bignell, Roisin & Lo 2010, p. 2.
  7. ^ van Huis, Arnold (2017-01-26). "Cultural significance of termites in sub-Saharan Africa". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 13 (1): 8. doi:10.1186/s13002-017-0137-z. ISSN 1746-4269. PMC 5270236. PMID 28126033.
  8. ^ Jouquet, Pascal; Traoré, Saran; Choosai, Chutinan; Hartmann, Christian; Bignell, David (2011-07-01). "Influence of termites on ecosystem functioning. Ecosystem services provided by termites". European Journal of Soil Biology. 47 (4): 215–222. Bibcode:2011EJSB...47..215J. doi:10.1016/j.ejsobi.2011.05.005. ISSN 1164-5563.
  9. ^ Paoletti, M. G.; Buscardo, E.; Vanderjagt, D. J.; Pastuszyn, A.; Pizzoferrato, L.; Huang, Y.-S.; Chuang, L.-T.; Glew, R. H.; Millson, M.; Cerda, H. (March 2003). "Nutrient content of termites (syntermes soldiers) consumed bymakiritare amerindians of the altoorinoco of Venezuela". Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 42 (2): 177–191. Bibcode:2003EcoFN..42..177P. doi:10.1080/036702403902-2255177. ISSN 0367-0244. S2CID 73373107.
  10. ^ Alves, Rômulo RN (December 2009). "Fauna used in popular medicine in Northeast Brazil". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 5 (1): 1. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-5-1. ISSN 1746-4269. PMC 2628872. PMID 19128461.
  11. ^ Alves, Rômulo R. N.; Dias, Thelma L. P. (June 2010). "Usos de invertebrados na medicina popular no Brasil e suas implicações para conservação". Tropical Conservation Science. 3 (2): 159–174. doi:10.1177/194008291000300204. ISSN 1940-0829. S2CID 86904054.
  12. ^ Govorushko, Sergey (March 2019). "Economic and ecological importance of termites: A global review: Termites: a global review". Entomological Science. 22 (1): 21–35. doi:10.1111/ens.12328. S2CID 92474272.
  13. ^ Buczkowski, Grzegorz; Bertelsmeier, Cleo (February 2017). "Invasive termites in a changing climate: A global perspective". Ecology and Evolution. 7 (3): 974–985. Bibcode:2017EcoEv...7..974B. doi:10.1002/ece3.2674. PMC 5288252. PMID 28168033.
  14. ^ Duquesne, Edouard; Fournier, Denis (2024-04-30). "Connectivity and climate change drive the global distribution of highly invasive termites". NeoBiota. 92: 281–314. doi:10.3897/neobiota.92.115411. ISSN 1314-2488.