Mastotermitidae
| Mastotermitidae Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
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| Mastotermes darwiniensis | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Blattodea |
| Infraorder: | Isoptera |
| Family: | Mastotermitidae |
| Genera | |
|
See text | |
Mastotermitidae is a family of termites. Several genera are known from the fossil record. The sole living species is Mastotermes darwiniensis, found only in northern Australia.
Fossil record
Numerous fossil taxa have been described in the Mastotermitidae, as well as in the genus Mastotermes. The family seems to have had a worldwide distribution until just a few million years ago, when all but the ancestors of the giant northern termite became extinct for unknown reasons.
Genera included in the Mastotermitidae are:[1]
- Blattotermes Riek (Eocene-Oligocene of France, USA, and Australia)
- Garmitermes Engel, Grimaldi, & Krishna (Eocene of Europe)
- Idanotermes Engel (Eocene of Europe)
- Khanitermes Engel, Grimaldi, & Krishna (Early Cretaceous of Mongolia)
- Mastotermes Froggatt, (Cretaceous-Recent of Europe, Central America and Australia)
- Miotermes Rosen (Miocene of Croatia, Germany, and France)
- Spargotermes Emerson (Miocene-Pliocene of Brazil)
- Valditermes Jarzembowski (Early Cretaceous of England)
References
- ^ Krishna, K., D.A. Grimaldi, V. Krishna, & M.S. Engel (2013) Treatise on the Isoptera of the world. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 377: 1-2704.