Termitaradus mitnicki
Encyclopedia
Termitaradus mitnicki is an extinct species of true bug
in the family Termitaphididae
known only from early Miocene
Burdigalian
stage Dominican amber
deposits on the island of Hispaniola
.
The species is known from the holotype
, number "KU-DR-023", a single female specimen currently deposited in the University of Kansas Natural History Museum
collections in Lawrence, Kansas
, where it was studied and described by Michael S. Engel
. Engel published his 2009 type description for T. mitnicki in journal ZooKeys
volume number 25. The species name mitnicki honors Tyler Mitnick, nephew of the specimen donor.
T. mitnicki is the third species of Termitaradus to be identified from the fossil record and the second identified from Dominican amber after T. avitinquilinus, described earlier in 2009. The eight living species are found world wide in the tropical regions of Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It is probable that T. mitnicki, like modern species of Termitaradus, was inquiline
, living in the nests of host species of termite
s, though the host species is unknown. Modern species of Termitaradus, where the host termite is known, live with members of the family Rhinotermitidae
, however a possible host of T. avitinquilinus is the extinct termite Mastotermes electrodominicana
, the type specimens being preserved associated with a worker M. electrodominicana.
While modern Termitaradus species are small, being an average of 2 to 4 mm (0.078740157480315 to 0.15748031496063 in), T. mitnicki is the second largest species known at 5.8 mm long. The largest species is the Miocene Mexican amber species T. protera with a length of 7.1 mm. Typical of Termitaradus, T. mitnicki is flattened with laminae extending out from each body segment, giving a round, scale-like appearance confirming the genus placement. The other genus in Termataphididae, Termitaphis, has an egg-shaped body rather than the flattened body of Termitaradus species. T. mitnicki can be identified from other species through several characteristics, notably the distinctive network of ridges on the top of the insect, which do not extend to the edges of the laminae. The general coloration is reddish-brown, lightening as towards the edges of the laminae with pale yellow seta
e.
Hemiptera
Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...
in the family Termitaphididae
Termitaphididae
Termitaphididae is a small tropicopolitan family of true bugs placed in the superfamily Aradoidea. Typically members of Termitaphididae are small, being an average of -, and flattened with laminae extending out from each body segment giving a round scale like appearance. Currently the family...
known only from early Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
Burdigalian
Burdigalian
The Burdigalian is, in the geologic timescale, an age or stage in the early Miocene. It spans the time between 20.43 ± 0.05 Ma and 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma...
stage Dominican amber
Dominican amber
Dominican amber is amber from the Dominican Republic. Resin from the extinct species Hymenaea protera is the source of Dominican amber and probably of most amber found in the tropics....
deposits on the island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
.
The species is known from the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
, number "KU-DR-023", a single female specimen currently deposited in the University of Kansas Natural History Museum
University of Kansas Natural History Museum
The University of Kansas Natural History Museum is part of the University of Kansas Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center, which is itself part of the KU Biodiversity Institute....
collections in Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
, where it was studied and described by Michael S. Engel
Michael S. Engel
Michael S. Engel is an American paleontologist and entomologist. He has undertaken field work in Central Asia, Asia Minor, and the Western Hemisphere, and published more than 300 papers in scientific journals. He was trained at the University of Kansas where in 1993 he received a B.S. in Cellular...
. Engel published his 2009 type description for T. mitnicki in journal ZooKeys
ZooKeys
ZooKeys is a peer-reviewed open access academic journal for the field of zoology. It was established in 2008, and the editor-in-chief is Terry Erwin from the Smithsonian Institution...
volume number 25. The species name mitnicki honors Tyler Mitnick, nephew of the specimen donor.
T. mitnicki is the third species of Termitaradus to be identified from the fossil record and the second identified from Dominican amber after T. avitinquilinus, described earlier in 2009. The eight living species are found world wide in the tropical regions of Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It is probable that T. mitnicki, like modern species of Termitaradus, was inquiline
Inquiline
In zoology, an inquiline is an animal that lives commensally in the nest, burrow, or dwelling place of an animal of another species. For example, some organisms such as insects may live in the homes of gophers and feed on debris, fungi, roots, etc...
, living in the nests of host species of termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s, though the host species is unknown. Modern species of Termitaradus, where the host termite is known, live with members of the family Rhinotermitidae
Rhinotermitidae
Rhinotermitidae is a family of termites . They feed on wood and can cause extensive damage to buildings or other wooden structures. About 345 species are recognized, among these are severe pests like Coptotermes formosanus, Coptotermes gestroi and Reticulitermes flavipes....
, however a possible host of T. avitinquilinus is the extinct termite Mastotermes electrodominicana
Mastotermes
Mastotermes darwiniensis, common names Giant Northern Termite and Darwin Termite, is a termite species found only in northern Australia. It is a very peculiar animal, the most primitive termite alive. As such, it shows uncanny similarities to certain cockroaches, the termites' closest relatives...
, the type specimens being preserved associated with a worker M. electrodominicana.
While modern Termitaradus species are small, being an average of 2 to 4 mm (0.078740157480315 to 0.15748031496063 in), T. mitnicki is the second largest species known at 5.8 mm long. The largest species is the Miocene Mexican amber species T. protera with a length of 7.1 mm. Typical of Termitaradus, T. mitnicki is flattened with laminae extending out from each body segment, giving a round, scale-like appearance confirming the genus placement. The other genus in Termataphididae, Termitaphis, has an egg-shaped body rather than the flattened body of Termitaradus species. T. mitnicki can be identified from other species through several characteristics, notably the distinctive network of ridges on the top of the insect, which do not extend to the edges of the laminae. The general coloration is reddish-brown, lightening as towards the edges of the laminae with pale yellow seta
Seta
Seta is a biological term derived from the Latin word for "bristle". It refers to a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms.-Animal setae:In zoology, most "setae" occur in invertebrates....
e.