Termitidae

Termitidae is the largest family of termites consisting of 2,125 described species of which are commonly known as the higher termites. They are evolutionarily the most specialised termite group, with their highly compartmentalized hindgut lacking the flagellated protozoans common to "lower termites", which are instead replaced by bacteria and archaea. Whereas lower termites are restricted mostly to woody tissue, higher termites have diverse diets consisting of wood, grass, leaf litter, fungi, lichen, faeces, humus and soil. Around 60% of species rely on soil-feeding alone.

==Systematics== The family contains the following subfamilies: Family Termitidae Latreille, 1802 subfamily Sphaerotermitinae Engel & Krishna, 2004 subfamily Macrotermitinae Kemner, 1934, nomen protectum [ICZN 2003] (synonyms: Acanthotermitinae Sjöstedt, 1926, nomen rejiciendum [ICZN 2003]; Odontotermitini Weidner, 1956) subfamily Foraminitermitinae Holmgren, 1912 (synonym: Pseudomicrotermitinae Holmgren, 1912) subfamily Apicotermitinae Grassé & Noirot, 1954 [1955] (synonym: Indotermitidae Roonwal & Sen Sarma in Roonwal, 1958) subfamily Microcerotermitinae Holmgren, 1910 subfamily Syntermitinae Engel & Krishna, 2004 (synonym: Cornitermitinae Ensaf et al., 2004, nomen nudum) subfamily Forficulitermitinae Hellemans, Engel, & Bourguignon, 2024 subfamily Engelitermitinae Romero Arias, Roisin, & Scheffrahn, 2024 subfamily Crepititermitinae Hellemans, Engel, & Bourguignon, 2024 subfamily Protohamitermitinae Hellemans, Engel, & Bourguignon, 2024 subfamily Cylindrotermitinae Hellemans, Engel, & Bourguignon, 2024 subfamily Neocapritermitinae Hellemans, Engel, & Bourguignon, 2024 subfamily Nasutitermitinae Hare, 1937 subfamily Promirotermitinae Hellemans, Engel, & Bourguignon, 2024 subfamily Mirocapritermitinae Kemner, 1934 subfamily Amitermitinae Kemner, 1934 subfamily Cubitermitinae Weidner, 1956 subfamily Termitinae Latreille, 1802 (synonyms: Mirotermitini Weidner, 1956; Capritermitini Weidner, 1956)