Termitotroginae

Termitotroginae
	Termitotrox cupido
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Superfamily:	Scarabaeoidea
Family:	Scarabaeidae
Subfamily:	Termitotroginae
Genus
	Termitotrox - Reichensperger, 1915 [1]
Synonyms[1]
	Aphodiocopris

Termitotroginae is a monotypic subfamily of the family Scarabaeidae, the scarab beetles. The only genus in the subfamily is Termititrox. A second genus, Aphodiocopris, Arrow, 1920, has been synonymised with Termitotrox. All known members of this subfamily are tiny, blind and flightless, and dwell within the fungal gardens of colonies of species of termite in Africa or tropical Asia.

Termitotrogins are characterised by having no eyes and no wings, and their pronotum and elytra have a distinctive patterning of ribs and grooves. The function of the beetles in the termite colony is unclear but it seems that they are likely to be obligatory termitophiles and somehow play an important role in the nest environment of their fungus-growing hosts.[1]

Species

The following species are included in the genus Termitotrox:[1]

Termitotrox ancoroides (Petrovitz, 1956) – Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Termitotrox consobrinus Reichensperger, 1915 – Republic of South Africa and KwazuluNatal
Termitotrox cupido Maruyama, 2012 - Cambodia [2]
Termitotrox kenyensis Paulian, 1985 – Kenya
Termitotrox maynei Reichensperger, 1956 – Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Termitotrox minutus (Arrow, 1920) – India
Termitotrox monodi Paulian, 1947 – Ivory Coast
Termitotrox permirus Wasmann, 1918 – India
Termitotrox turkanicus Krikken, 2008 – Kenya
Termitotrox usambaricus Krikken, 2008 – Tanzania
Termitotrox vanbruggeni Krikken, 2008 – Kenya

References

Krikken, J. (2008). "Blind, flightless termitophiles of the genus Termitotrox in East Africa: three new species with a generic review (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Termitotroginae)". Tijdschrift voor Entomologie. 151: 65–75. doi:10.1163/22119434-900000251. ISSN 0040-7496.
Maruyama, Munetoshi (2012). "Termitotrox cupido sp. n. (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae), a new termitophilous scarab species from the Indo-Chinese subregion, associated with Hypotermes termites". ZooKeys (254): 89–97. doi:10.3897/zookeys.254.4285. PMC 3561921. PMID 23378817.

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[Krikken-1] Krikken, J. (2008). "Blind, flightless termitophiles of the genus Termitotrox in East Africa: three new species with a generic review (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Termitotroginae)". Tijdschrift voor Entomologie. 151: 65–75. doi:10.1163/22119434-900000251. ISSN 0040-7496.

[2] Maruyama, Munetoshi (2012). "Termitotrox cupido sp. n. (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae), a new termitophilous scarab species from the Indo-Chinese subregion, associated with Hypotermes termites". ZooKeys (254): 89–97. doi:10.3897/zookeys.254.4285. PMC 3561921. PMID 23378817.