Melqartitermitidae Engel, 2021

JIANG, RI-XIN, ZHANG, HONG-RUI, ELDREDGE, K. TARO, SONG, XIAO-BIN, LI, YAN-DA, TIHELKA, ERIK, HUANG, DI-YING, WANG, SHUO, ENGEL, MICHAEL S. & CAI, CHEN-YANG, 2021, Further evidence of Cretaceous termitophily: Description of new termite hosts of the trichopseniine Cretotrichopsenius (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), with emendations to the classification of lower termites (Isoptera), Palaeoentomology 4 (4), pp. 374-389 : 380

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/palaeoentomology.4.4.13

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D1F5A853-32D1-470B-A609-D54F7B8C60CA

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5507935

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B28787-AB44-067B-FF0D-84B6FE9CF8FF

treatment provided by

Carolina

scientific name

Melqartitermitidae Engel
status

fam. nov.

Melqartitermitidae Engel , fam. nov.

Type genus. Melqartitermes Engel et al., 2007 .

Diagnosis. The Melqartitermitidae are a peculiar Early Cretaceous group of primitive termites. Like Mastotermitidae and some other basal families, melqartitermitids have wholly pentamerous tarsi and a large flat pronotum. However, unlike Mastotermitidae the hind wing lacks an anal lobe and ocelli are lacking (absent in Mastotermitinae ). Unlike Archotermopsidae a subsidiary tooth is present and the radial field is narrow, closer in form to that of Stolotermitidae (but this family has tetramerous tarsi, lacks a subsidiary tooth, and has a smaller pronotum). Like Mastotermitidae and other early diverging families, Melqartitermitidae have a large forewing scale with all primary veins originating within the scale. Aside from its unique combination of traits, the family differs from others in the primitive retention of a ventral cervical sclerite. In this respect it resembles Mylacrotermitidae Engel , fam. nov. (vide infra), from which it differs in the presence of a defined forewing basal suture.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Blattodea

InfraOrder

Isoptera

ParvOrder

Euisoptera

Family

Melqartitermitidae

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