| Termitaphididae | |
|---|---|
| Termitaradus mitnicki female in Dominican amber | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Hexapoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Infraorder: | Pentatomomorpha |
| Superfamily: | Aradoidea |
| Family: | Termataphididae Myers, 1924 |
| Genera | |
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Termitaphididae is a small tropicopolitan family of true bugs placed in the superfamily Aradoidea. Typically members of Termitaphididae are small, being an average of 2 millimetres (0.079 in)-4 millimetres (0.16 in), and flattened with laminae extending out from each body segment giving a round scale like appearance. Currently the family contains two genera and twelve known species. [1] Members of Termitaphididae are inquilines lodging in the nests of host species of termite families Termitidae and Rhinotermitidae. Though considered a separate family in Aradoidea it has been suggested by Drs David Grimaldi and Michael Engel in 2008 that Termataphididae may in fact be highly derived members of Aradidae.[1] Of the twelve known species one Termitaphis circumvallata belongs to the monotypic genus Termitaphis and three of the remaining eleven species in Termitaradus are extinct, having only been found in amber.[1] The living species are found world wide in the tropical regions of Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. [1]