Family RHINOTERMITIDAE

Coptotermes acinaciformis, winged reproductive alate, worker, soldier

© Copyright B. Rankin.

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Introduction

The family Rhinotermitidae contains five Australian genera, none endemic, placed in four of the seven subfamilies of Rhinotermitidae. Watson & Gay (1991) recognised 30 species but recent studies indicate a larger fauna. The subfamily Heterotermitinae includes only one genus in Australia, Heterotermes, the species of which are poorly understood. The late A.E. Emerson (pers. comm.), in an unpublished revision of Heterotermes, elevated the subspecies of Heterotermes paradoxus to specific status, a course that we have followed. Recent analyses of cuticular hydrocarbons of workers, coupled with canonical variate analyses of soldier measurements and detailed comparison of alates, have shown that the south-eastern species H. ferox is a complex of species not including the south-western Australian H. occiduus (Watson et al. 1989). There is good reason to suppose that other "species" of Heterotermes will also prove to be complexes.

The subfamily Coptotermitinae is co-extensive with the genus Coptotermes, which includes the termites that do most damage in Australia, at least in economic terms. Six species are included in the Catalogue. However, as with species of Heterotermes, we know from analyses of cuticular hydrocarbons that at least three of these "species" are complexes—C. acinaciformis, our most important termite economically, C. frenchi, also of major economic importance, and C. lacteus, a benign species (Brown et al. 1990).

The subfamily Prorhinotermitinae includes only one Australian species, Prorhinotermes inopinatus, widespread in the south-west Pacific. Two Australian genera, Parrhinotermes and Schedorhinotermes, are placed in the Rhinotermitinae. No undescribed species are recognised. However, as with the subspecies of Heterotermes paradoxus, we follow the late A.E. Emerson's unpublished recognition that the subspecies of Schedorhinotermes intermedius should be accorded specific status (cf. Watson 1969). Many species of rhinotermitid have large colonies, and live in compact nests. Several Australian species of Coptotermes are unique in that genus in building mounds, some of which are conspicuous, up to 2 m high.

Jones (2013) listed 27 species for Barrow Island, Western Australia, including 5 species in this family.

Diagnosis

Alate: antennae 14- to 22-segmented; ocelli usually present; fontanelle present, sometimes indistinct; left mandible with three marginal teeth, right mandible with small subsidiary tooth at base of first marginal; pronotum more or less flattened, narrower than to as wide as head; wings often reticulate, forewing scale larger than scale of hindwing; tarsi 4-segmented; tibial formula 2/3–2/3–2/3; cerci 2-segmented.

Soldiers: antennae 12- to 20-segmented; eyes usually lacking; fontanelle present, sometimes very prominent; mandibles well developed, with or without marginal teeth; pronotum flat, narrower than head; tarsi 4-segmented, tibial formula as in alate.

General References

Brown, W.V., Watson, J.A.L., Carter, F.L., Lacey, M.J., Barrett, R.A. & McDaniel, C.A. 1990. Preliminary examination of cuticular hydrocarbons of worker termites as chemotaxonomic characters for some Australian species of Coptotermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Sociobiology 16: 305-328

Jones, D.T. 2013. The termites of Barrow Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 83: 241-144

Watson, J.A.L. 1969. Schedorhinotermes derosus, a harvester termite in northern Australia (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Insectes Sociaux 16: 173-178

Watson, J.A.L., Brown, W.V., Miller, L.R., Carter, F.L. & Lacey, M.J. 1989. Taxonomy of Heterotermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in south-eastern Australia: cuticular hydrocarbons of workers, and soldier and alate morphology. Systematic Entomology 14: 299-325

Watson, J.A.L. & Gay, F.J. 1991. Isoptera (Termites). pp. 330-347 in CSIRO (ed.). The Insects of Australia. A textbook for students and research workers. Melbourne : Melbourne University Press Vol. 1 2.

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