An Overlooked Family group Name For Termites (Isoptera)

2004·0.44 MB·English

by  M S Engel

168 ENTOMOLOGICALNEWS
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
AN OVERLOOKED FAMILY-GROUP NAME FOR
TERMITES
(ISOPTERA)1
MichaelS. Engel2and KumarKrishna3
During ongoing work to complete a new, annotated world catalog ofthe termites
(Isoptera), a family-group name was found that had been inadvertently overlooked
during the preparation ofan account ofsuch names (Engel and Krishna, 2004). The
name Odontotermitini was proposed as a tribe by Weidner (1956) for Odontotermes,
Ancistrotermes, and Microtermes. Odontotermitini was not used by subsequent
authors oftermite classification. We provide here an entry forOdontotermitini, indi-
catingthe same informationasprovided forothertermite family-group names (Engel
and Krishna, 2004), and putting the name on record as an amendment to the earlier
paper. Since the names provided in the earlier account are listed in order by taxo-
nomic priority, Odontotermitini should be intercalated between the namesApicoter-
mitinae and Cubitermitini. The entry would read as follows:
28a. Odontotermitini Weidner, 1956: 82. Type genus: Odontotermes Holmgren,
1910. Combining stem: Odontotermit-.
In the table summarizing the hierarchical outline oftermite classification (Engel
and Krishna, 2004), Odontotermitini would be listed as a synonym ofMacrotermi-
tinae, immediatelyunderAcanthotermitinae, itselfa synonym (videEngel and Krish-
na, 2001; ICZN, 2003) as all three were proposed for groups offungus-growing ter-
mites. Odontotermitini doesnotaffectthepriorityorstatus ofanyotherfamily-group
names.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
WearegratefultoV. Krishnaandananonymousreviewerforconstructivecommentsonthisnote.This
iscontribution3409oftheDivisionofEntomology,Natural HistoryMuseum,UniversityofKansas.
LITERATURE CITED
Engel,M.S.andK.Krishna. 2001. MacrotermitinaeKemner, 1934(Insecta,Isoptera): Proposedprece-
denceoverAcanthotermitinaeSjostedt, 1926. BulletinofZoologicalNomenclature 58(3): 206-209.
Engel, M. S. and K. Krishna. 2004. Family-group names for termites (Isoptera). American Museum
Novitates3432: 1-9.
Holmgren,N. 1910. DasSystemderTermiten. ZoologischerAnzeiger35: 284-286.
InternationalCommissionon ZoologicalNomenclature. 2003. Opinion2038: Macrotermitinae Kem-
ner, 1934 (Insecta, Isoptera): Given precedence overAcanthotermitinae Sjostedt, 1926. Bulletin of
Zoological Nomenclature60(2): 162-163.
Weidner, H. 1956. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Tenniten Angolas, hauptsachlich aufGrund der Samm-
lungen und Beobachtungen vonA. de Barros Machado (I. Beitrag). Publicacoes Culturais da Com-
panhiade DiamantesdeAngola29: 55-106.
1ReceivedonDecember7,2004.Acceptedon December 18,2004.
2DivisionofEntomology,Natural HistoryMuseum,and DepartmentofEcology& EvolutionaryBiology,
1460 Jayhawk Boulevard, Snow Hall, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7523, U.S.A.
E-mail: [email protected].
'DivisionofInvertebrateZoology,AmericanMuseumofNaturalHistory,CentralParkWestat79thStreet,
NewYork,NewYork 10024-5192 U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected].
MailedonJanuary 19,2005