Zoraptera

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iZoropterans
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Hexapoda Class: Insecta Subclass: Pterygota Order: Zoraptera Silvestri, 1913 Family: Zorotypidae Genus: Zorotypus
Species
Zorotypus acanthothorax Engel & Grimaldi Zorotypus amazonensis Rafael & Engel Zorotypus barberi Gurney Zorotypus brasiliensis Silvestri Zorotypus buxtoni Karny Zorotypus caudelli Karny Zorotypus ceylonicus Silvestri Zorotypus congensis Ryn-Tournel Zorotypus cramptoni Gurney Zorotypus cretatus Engel & Grimaldi Zorotypus delamarei Paulian Zorotypus goeleti Engel & Grimaldi Zorotypus guineensis Silvestri Zorotypus gurneyi Choe Zorotypus hamiltoni New Zorotypus hubbardi Caudell Zorotypus huxleyi Bolivar & Coronado Zorotypus javanicus Silvestri Zorotypus juninensis Engel Zorotypus lawrencei New Zorotypus leleupi Weidner Zorotypus longicercatus Caudell Zorotypus manni Gurney Zorotypus medoensis Hwang Zorotypus mexicanus Bolivar Zorotypus nascimbenei Engel & Grimaldi Zorotypus neotropicus Silvestri Zorotypus newi (Chao & Chen) Zorotypus philippinensis Gurney Zorotypus shannoni Gurney Zorotypus silvestrii Karny Zorotypus sinensis Hwang Zorotypus snyderi Gurney Zorotypus swezeyi Gurney Zorotypus weidneri New Zorotypus vinsoni Paulian Zorotypus zimmermani Gurney

The insect order Zoraptera contains one family (Zorotypidae) which in turn contains one extant genus, Zorotypus, though an extinct animal of the Cretaceous era is classified as Xenozorotypus burmiticus within the same family.

Commonly called Zorapterans, the members of this order are small ( 3 mm or less) insects that resemble termites (Order Isoptera) in appearance and in their gregarious behavior. About thirty species are found world-wide. They live beneath rotting wood, eating fungal spores and detritus. Although zorapterans have four wings, both sexes have winged and wingless forms, with the wingless forms lacking eyes. Under good conditions it is the blind and wingless form that dominates, but if their surroundings become too tough, they produce offspring which develop into winged adults with eyes. This form is used as a way to spread to new places where they can live. They have 9-segmented, moniliform antennae.

[edit] References

• Grimaldi, D. and Engel, M.S. (2005). Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-82149-5.
• Engel, M.S. & D.A. Grimaldi (2002) The first Mesozoic Zoraptera (Insecta). American Museum Novitates 3362: 1-20.
• Rafael, J.A. & M.S. Engel (2006) A new species of Zorotypus from Central Amazonia, Brazil (Zoraptera: Zorotypidae). American Museum Novitates 3528: 1-11.