The Syntermitinae, also known as the ''Mandibulate nasutes'', is a

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 ...

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 head which is adapted for chemical defense, similar to the

fontanellar gun The fontanellar gun is a termite Defense in insects#Chemical defenses, defense mechanism in the form of a horn-like frontal projection (''nasus'') on the head of the soldier caste which is capable of expelling chemical weaponry at a distance, a tr ...

of true nasute

termites Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial cockroaches which consume a variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus. They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the sof ...

(Nasutitermitinae). However unlike true nasutes, the mandibles of the soldiers are functional and highly developed, and they are unable to expel their chemical weaponry at a distance – instead relying on direct physical contact. Some genera, such as ''

Syntermes ''Syntermes'' is a genus of large Neotropical higher termites within the subfamily Syntermitinae. The genus is found only in South America where members are distributed widely throughout the continent, being found from the tropical rainforests ...

'' or '' Labiotermes'', have a highly reduced nasus and in some species it may appear absent altogether. Although the Syntermitinae were once grouped and considered basal within the Nasutitermitinae, they are not closely related with modern cladistic analyses showing Syntermitinae to be a separate lineage that is sister to '' Microcerotermitinae''. It is believed the nasus evolved independently in Syntermitinae in an example of

convergent evolution Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last comm ...

. Genera range from southern

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

('' Cahuallitermes'') to Northern

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 ...

('' Cornitermes'', '' Procornitermes'', '' Rhynchotermes'', ''Syntermes'') with the highest diversity occurring in the

Brazilian Cerrado Brazilian commonly refers to: * Brazil, a country * Brazilians, its people * Brazilian Portuguese, its dialect Brazilian may also refer to: * "The Brazilian", a 1986 instrumental music piece by Genesis * Brazilian Café, Baghdad, Iraq (1937) * Bra ...

Identification

The frontal-gland or fontanelle of soldiers is at the tip of a large projection (nasus) located in the frontal region of the head, and the soldier mandibles have a recognizable molar plate and prominence. The first proctodeal segment (P1) of the gut in workers are similar across all genera, distinguished by a generally inflated and globose shape with diverse ornamentation arrangements specialized to certain feeding strategies.

Genera

*'' Acangaobitermes'' *'' Armitermes'' *'' Bandeiratermes'' *'' Biratermes'' *'' Cahuallitermes'' *'' Cornitermes'' *'' Curvitermes'' *'' Cyrilliotermes'' *'' Embiratermes'' *'' Genuotermes'' *'' Ibitermes'' *'' Labiotermes'' *'' Macuxitermes'' *'' Mapinguaritermes'' *'' Noirotitermes'' *'' Paracurvitermes'' *'' Procornitermes'' *'' Rhynchotermes'' *'' Silvestritermes'' *''

'' *'' Uncitermes'' *'' Vaninitermes''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15275401 Insect subfamilies Termites