Rhynchotermes is a genus of

Neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In biogeogra ...

higher termites within the subfamily

Syntermitinae The Syntermitinae, also known as the ''Mandibulate nasutes'', is a Neotropical subfamily of higher termites represented by 21 genera and 103 species. The soldier caste of members of this subfamily have a conspicuous horn-like projection on the h ...

, represented by 8 known species. Species of this genus are known for their soldiers which have highly developed sickle-shaped mandibles and a pronounced frontal tube superficially analogous to the fontanellar guns of true nasute termites. Most species forage above the surface in the open where they primarily feed on forest leaf litter. Nests are subterranean or are shallow and epigeic.

Description

Worker, Soldier and Imago have antennae with 14 articles (antennomeres) with the first and third articles longer than the second. Soldiers are smaller than workers, are either monomorphic or dimorphic and the head capsule is rounded to a near pear shape. The inner margins of the mandibles are either serrated or smooth, strongly or evenly curved and the inner marginal tooth is conical. Apical extent of mandibles either weakly overlapping or evenly distanced when closed. The frontal tube about the same length of the head or longer and always covering the post-clypeus in dorsal view. Forecoxa process often pronounced and subcylindrical. Worker head capsule is rounded when viewed dorsally and flattened dorso-ventrally; head is highly sclerotized. Left mandible with small apical tooth slightly shorter than M1+2, cutting margin between tip of M1+2 and third marginal tooth and molar prominence with 5–6 developed ridges. Right mandible with apical tooth almost equal in size to M1, acute angle between them, M1 and M2 robust and molar plate with 5–6 ridges. Intestines visible; abdomen transparent. Species are distributed widely throughout the Neotropics, being found in

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

and

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

Species

# '' Rhynchotermes amazonensis'' # '' Rhynchotermes bulbinasus'' # '' Rhynchotermes diphyes'' # '' Rhynchotermes matraga'' # '' Rhynchotermes nasutissimus'' # '' Rhynchotermes perarmatus'' # '' Rhynchotermes piauy'' # '' Rhynchotermes armatus''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16625274 Insects of Central America Termites