Termitaphididae
Termitaradus mitnicki from the Miocene in Dominican amber
The Termitaphididae are a family of bugs ( Heteroptera) in the partial order Pentatomomorpha. Of them only 9 species in 2 genera with tropical and subtropical distribution are known.
Features
The Termitaphididae be two to three millimeters long and have a body shape that resembles a scale. Your egg-shaped or elliptical body is strongly flattened and bears on the sides flat plates and specially modified setae. Females have on the sides of each plate 13, in the males of the meso-and metathorax are fused.
The spine of the mandibular and maxillary spine, the strong suction tool for mandibles and maxillae reformed, are elongated and coiled in rest position within the head. The representatives of the Termitaphididae have neither compound eyes yet simple eyes ( ocelli ). Also they lack wings. Her legs are small and not visible in the plan view of the animals. The entire body is provided with spherical, knot-like setae. The sensors are strongly bent. The Parempodia on the claws are grown together with the pulvillus, as is the case with other representatives of the Pentatomomorpha. The females lack the ovipositor. At the sterna of the abdomen several bald, polished acting regions can be discerned. The nymphs and imagines the missing dorsal scent gland openings on the abdomen.
Occurrence
The family is widespread tropical and subtropical and occurs in the Neotropics, Afrotropical, Oriental and Australasia.
Way of life
Over the life of the animals is still almost nothing is known. This greatly modified in their morphology bugs have so far been found only in termite mounds, as is the case with some beef bugs. The females lay their eggs under the termites. The similarity to the beef bugs suggests that also feed the Termitaphididae of mushrooms, this is not yet proven, however. All species are presumably sensitive to light and touch.
Taxonomy and systematics
The family was originally first described by Filippo Silvestri in 1911 as Termitocoridae, having already in 1902 Erich Wasmann a type of group described, but they presented as unallocated way to Gleichflüglern ( Homoptera ). JG Myers realized that the first description of Silvestri was not based on a genus and therefore proposed as a substitute before the name Termitaphididae for the group.
The Termitaphididae form with the nearest related beef bugs ( Aradidae ) the common superfamily Aradoidea that is in a sister group relationship to all other Pentatomomorpha ( Trichophora called ). The assignment to the superfamily Aradoidea is established by the modified, extremely long and coiled in the head mouthparts substantially. The following genera are of Schuh & Slater ( 1995) recognized within the family:
- Termitaphis genus ( 1 species, Neotropics )
- Genus Termitaradus (8 species; 5 Neotropics, 1 Australia, 1 Africa, 1 orientalis)
A fossil species, Termitaradus protera is detected from the Miocene Chiapas amber from Mexico, two other species, Termitaradus mitnicki and Termitaradus avitinquilinus, from the Dominican amber.