LIBRARY

ISOPTERA 167
FOSSIL RECORD
It is generally supposed that termites arose in Eocene times, but the earliest
known fossils occur in the Lower Tertiary (Snyder, 1925). To date three families
(Schroder, 1925) are represented as follows:
In the family MASTOTERMITIDh: Silvestri, fossils of Mastotermes Froggatt
have been taken in the Upper Eocene of Bournemouth and at Gurnet, Isle
of Wight, England; in the Upper Oligocene of Schossnitz, SiIesia, Czechoslovakia;
in the Miocene of Radoboj, Croatia, Yugoslavia; and in Tennessee
(Light). Living forms of this genus, M. darwiniensis Froggatt, occur in northern
tropical Australia. The genus Miotermes Rosen has been taken from the
Miocene of Florissant, Colo.; the Lower Miocene of Radoboj; and the Upper
Miocene of Oeningen and of Randeck, Germany.
The family KALOTERMITID.tE Banks is represented by seven species in
Baltic Amber; two species in the Upper Oligocene of Rott, Germany; four
species in the Miocene of Florissant, Colo.; two species in the Upper Miocene of
Oeningen, Germany; one species in Upper Miocene of Gabbro, Italy; and
seven species in Copal deposits. Among the genera thus represented are:
Archotermopsis Rosen, Xestotermopsis Hosen, Parotermes Scudder, Hodotermes
Hagen, and Kalotermes Hagen.
Many species of the family TERM IT IDlE (Westwood) Light have been
taken, especially in Baltic Amber and Copal, in Europe, and in other deposits
as listed in the family KALOTERMITIDlE. The genera Leucotermes Silvestri,
Eutermes Fr. Muller, Termes (Linn.) Holmgren, Odontotermes Holmgr., (?)
Microtermes Wasmann, and Microcerotermes Wasm. are represented.
The termites are typically tropical insects that have invaded the warmer
temperate regions. It may be calculated that there are approximately 100 genera
and 1,600 species distributed somewhat as follows by species: African 500,
Indo-Malaysian-Papuan 450, Neotropical 350, Australasian 100, Palrearctic
100, and Nearctic 100. In 1934 Light estimated there were about 130 genera and
1,500 species. In North America Light accounts for 55 species of which only
two are supposedly introduced.
KEY TO FAMILIES
1. Tarsi five-segmented; hind wing with large anal lobe MASTOTERMITIDJE
Tarsi four-segmented; hind wing without anal lobe . 2
2. Fontanel! absent in all castes; empodium present (except in Protcrmes)
. .. . . . . 3
Fontanel present in all castes; empodium absent . . . . . 4
3. Ocelli absent; pronotum not always broader than head in soldier
HODOTERMITIDJE
Ocelli present; pronotum broader than head. . . KALOTERMITIDlE
4. Scale or stump of fore wing large, distinctly larger than that of hind
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I A shallow depression of the forehead in which is situated the opening of the frontal pore
from which sticky fluid oozes or is ejected. Also spelled fontanelle.