Macrotermitinae

Odontotermes badius, photographed by Wynand Uys.

Belongs within: Isoptera.

The Macrotermitinae are an group of Old World mound-building or ground-dwelling termites, many of which cultivate the symbiotic wood-rotting fungus Termitomyces. The termites consume the mycelia of the fungus, acquiring nitrogen and more readily digestible cellulose (Grimaldi & Engel 2005). Soldiers of most genera have robust mandibles with a distinct tooth, but Ancistrotermes and Microtermes have more slender mandibles with a less distinct tooth (Ahmad 1950).

<==Macrotermitinae [Macrotermitidae]
    |  i. s.: Bellicositermes N55
    |--+--Macrotermes A50
    |  |    |--M. angolensis Noirot 1955 N55
    |  |    |--M. bellicosus S57
    |  |    |--M. carbonarius H79
    |  |    |--M. falciger GE05
    |  |    |--M. gilvus S57
    |  |    |--M. goliath S57
    |  |    |--M. malaccensis S57
    |  |    |--M. natalensis S57
    |  |    |--M. subhyalinus H79
    |  |    `--M. swaziae S57
    |  `--+--Acanthotermes acanthothorax A50, GN54
    |     `--+--Synacanthotermes heterodon A50
    |        `--Pseudacanthotermes A50
    |             |--P. militaris N55
    |             `--P. spiniger S57
    `--+--+--Allodontermes rhodesiensis A50
       |  `--Protermes prorepens A50
       `--+--Sphaerotermes [Sphaerotermitinae] A50
          |    `--S. sphaerothorax A50
          `--+--+--Ancistrotermes A50
             |  |    |--A. cavithorax H79
             |  |    `--A. crucifer A50
             |  `--Microtermes A50
             |       |--M. calvus A50
             |       |--M. globicola H79
             |       `--M. vadschaggae [=Termes vadschaggae] S57
             `--+--Euscaiotermes A50
                `--Odontotermes A50
                     |--O. angustatus [=Termes angustatus] S57
                     |--O. badius H79
                     |--O. ceylonicus S57
                     |--O. formosanus MA05a
                     |--O. horni H79
                     |--O. javanicus S57
                     |--O. kepongensis Manzoor & Akhtar 2005 MA05a
                     |--O. kibarensis N55
                     |--O. kistneri Manzoor & Akhtar 2005 MA05a
                     |--O. maesodensis MA05b
                     |--O. matangensis Manzoor & Akhtar 2005 MA05a
                     |--O. obesus GE05
                     |--O. obscuriceps S57 [=Hypotermes obscuriceps H79]
                     |--O. praevalens H79
                     |--O. prewensis Manzoor & Akhtar 2005 MA05b
                     |--O. proformosanus MA05a
                     |--O. redemanni S57
                     |--O. sarawakensis MA05a
                     |--O. stercorivorus H79
                     |--O. transvaalensis S57
                     |--O. (Odontotermes) vulgaris S57
                     |--O. wallonensis S57
                     `--O. (Hypotermes) xenotermitis A50

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[A50] Ahmad, M. 1950. The phylogeny of termite genera based on imago-worker mandibles. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 95 (2): 37–86.

[GN54] Grassé, P.-P. & C. Noirot. 1954. Apicotermes arquieri (Isoptère): ses constructions, sa biologie. Considérations générales sur la sous-famille des Apicotermitinae nov. Annales des Sciences Naturelles—Zoologie et Biologie Animale, ser. 11, 16: 345–388.

[GE05] Grimaldi, D., & M. S. Engel. 2005. Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press: New York.

[H79] Howse, P. E. 1979. The uniqueness of insect societies: Aspects of defense and integration. In: Larwood, G., & B. R. Rosen (eds) Biology and Systematics of Colonial Organisms pp. 345–374. Academic Press: London.

[MA05a] Manzoor, F., & M. S. Akhtar. 2005a. Three new species of termite from Malaysia (Isoptera: Termitidae). Serangga 10 (1–2): 73–82.

[MA05b] Manzoor, F., & M. S. Akhtar. 2005b. A detailed morphometric study of new termite species Odontotermes prewensis n.sp. (Isoptera: Termitidae) from Thailand. Serangga 10 (1–2): 83–92.

[N55] Noirot, C. 1955. Termites du centre et du sud-ouest de l'Angola récoltés par A. de Barros Machado. Diamang Publicações Culturais 27: 139–150.

[S57] Seevers, C. H. 1957. A monograph on the termitophilous Staphylinidae (Coleoptera). Fieldiana Zoology 40: 1–334.