Termopsidae is an extinct family of termites in the order Blattodea. The five extant genera formerly included in Termopsidae (Archotermopsis, Hodotermopsis, Porotermes, Stolotermes, and Zootermopsis) now belong in their own distinct families, leaving only extinct taxa in Termopsidae.
Several prehistoric genera are placed herein, known only from fossils. Since only a small part of the diversity of dampwood termites survives, it is rather difficult to assign these to subfamilies. Several seem to represent very ancient members of the family; they may be quite basal Termopsidae, so it is indeed unwarranted to place them into a subfamily at all.
Genera
- Asiatermes
- Asiatermes reticulatus (Cretaceous, Aptian; Lushangfen Formation, China)
- Cretatermes
- Cretatermes carpenteri (Cretaceous, Cenomanian; Redmond Formation, Canada)
- Huaxiatermes
- Huaxiatermes huangi (Cretaceous, Aptian; Lushangfen Formation, China)
- Lutetiatermes
- Lutetiatermes priscus (Cretaceous, Cenomanian; Bezonnais amber, France)
- Mesotermopsis
- Mesotermopsis incompleta (Cretaceous, Aptian; Lushangfen Formation, China)
- Mesotermopsis lata (Cretaceous, Aptian; Lushangfen Formation, China)
- Paleotermopsis
- Paleotermopsis oligocenicus (Oligocene, Chattian; Niveau du gypse d'Aix Formation, France)
- Parotermes
- Parotermes insignis (Eocene, Priabonian; Florissant Formation, USA)
- Termopsis
- Termopsis bremii (Eocene, Priabonian; Baltic Amber, Europe)
- Termopsis gracilipennis (Oligocene, Rupelian; Salt Formation, Germany)
- Termopsis mallaszi (Miocene, Sarmatian; Tompa, Romania)
- Termopsis transsylvanica (Miocene, Sarmatian; Tompa, Romania)
- Termopsis ukapirmasi (Eocene, Priabonian; Baltic Amber, Europe)
- Valditermes â provisionally placed here
- Valditermes brenanae (Cretaceous, Hauterivian; Weald Clay, England)
Nomenclature
The group was originally described as a subfamily, Termopsinae, by Nils Holmgren in 1911, and was raised to the taxonomic rank of family by Pierre-Paul Grassé in 1949.
References