Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

Officially demoted: termites are the new cockroaches

Turns out, termites are basically social cockroaches.

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
March 5, 2018
in Biology, News

As of 15 February, termites no longer have their own order — they’re essentially cockroaches, researchers say. Social cockroaches.

Credit: WIkimedia Commons.
Left: Western wood cockroach (Parcoblatta americana); Right: Northern Harvester Termite (Hodotermes mossambicus). Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

It’s Pluto all over again

Termites are among the most successful groups of insects on Earth, colonizing all continents except for Antarctica. Researchers have known for quite a while that they are closely related to cockroaches, but recent phylogenetic studies concluded that they evolved from close ancestors of cockroaches during the Jurassic or Triassic. Now, the Entomological Society of America (ESA) is updating its master list of insect names to reflect these studies. In other words, officially, termites will be demoted from their own order, into the order of the cockroaches, called Blattodea — just like Pluto was demoted from the rank of planet. However, unlike Pluto, it’s unlikely that this move will draw any public backlash, especially as hundreds of species are pests that can cause serious damage to buildings, crops, or plantation forests.

At a first glance, cockroaches and termites don’t have much in common. Cockroaches are solitary creatures, living and surviving mostly on their own, whereas termites, originally called “white ants” by European naturalists, are almost always social. But despite apparent similarities, ants and termites are actually very different, representing a case of convergent evolution — independent evolution of similar features in species of different lineages. Think of how birds and bats both developed wings and are capable of flight, but are not related at all. So despite looking a lot like ants, termites are basically cockroaches; social cockroaches, that is.

Strong evidence suggests that termites evolved as specialized wood-eating cockroaches. An important study that illustrated this was in 2008 when an exhaustive study analyzed different species of termites, cockroaches, and mantises from across the globe. Then, Paul Eggleton at the Natural History Museum in London and his colleagues showed, beyond a reasonable doubt, the similarity between these groups (termites and mantises are also closely related).

However, the decision to merge termites and cockroaches into one group wasn’t an easy one, says Whitney Cranshaw of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, a longtime member of the society’s naming committee.

“Probably some of us, including myself, didn’t want to make the change because we liked it the way it was,” he says. Termites and cockroaches as separate orders were easy to memorize for the undergraduates he teaches. Yet, he voted yes. “It’s what’s right.”

The fact that the ESA demoted termites into the group of cockroaches says a lot about how convincing this evidence is. The ESA Common Names database a vital reference for anyone who works with insects. It includes more than 2,000 common names and is searchable by common name, scientific name, author, order, family, genus, and species.

 

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. New Zealand MP demoted after suggesting homeopathy use in Ebola fight
  2. Termites recycle their methane — scientists want us to copy them
  3. Family of termites has been traveling across the ocean for millions of years
  4. Namibian fairy circles mystery finally solved: they’re made by termites
  5. Termites can hold back deserts by creating oases of plant life

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW