Termites of Zihuatanejo

EPIFAMILY TERMITOIDAE

• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

• Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

• Insects (Class Insecta)

• Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

• ​Cockroaches and Termites (Order Blattodea)

• Termites (Epifamily Termitoidae)

​

Epifamily Termitoidae comprises the termites, a highly specialized lineage within the order Blattodea. Once classified as the separate order Isoptera, termites are now recognized as social cockroaches that evolved from wood-feeding ancestors. Found throughout tropical, subtropical, and many temperate regions of the world, termites live in complex colonies that may contain thousands to millions of individuals organized into reproductive, worker, and soldier castes. They are best known for their ability to digest cellulose with the aid of symbiotic microorganisms living in their digestive systems, allowing them to feed on wood, leaf litter, grasses, and other plant materials.