# Syntermes
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{{Short description|Genus of termites}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Amazonas Syntermes species.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Syntermes spinosus colony with queen pictured, from the Amazonas region of Brazil. The colony has evacuated the nest likely due to flooding.
| taxon = Syntermes
| authority = Holmgren, 1909
}}
'''''Syntermes''''' is a genus of large [Neotropical](/source/Neotropical_realm) [higher termites](/source/Termitidae) within the subfamily [Syntermitinae](/source/Syntermitinae).[Holmgren, N. 1909. Termite Studies. 1. Anatomical Studies. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar 44 (3): 1-215.][Araujo, RL 1970. Termites of the Neotropical region. pp. 527-576 In: K. Krishna; FM Weesner, Biology of termites. Vol. 2. New York: Academic Press.] The genus is found only in [South America](/source/South_America) where members are distributed widely throughout the continent, being found from the [tropical rainforests](/source/Amazon_rainforest) of [Colombia](/source/Colombia) to the [savanna](/source/savanna)s of [Brazil](/source/Cerrado) and [Northern Argentina](/source/Argentina).[{{Cite journal |last=Constantino |first=Reginaldo |date=1995-11-10 |title=Revision of the Neotropical termite genus Syntermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Termitidae) |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/781 |journal=The University of Kansas Science Bulletin |volume=55 |pages=455–518 |issn=0022-8850}}]
Most known species forage in the open and collect either leaf or grass litter which is stored in subterranean chambers for later consumption. The nests are primarily subterranean with epigeal [mound](/source/Mound-building_termites) structures built from loose dirt of varying compactness.[{{cite web | url=https://earthsky.org/earth/huge-ancient-termite-mounds-brazil-visible-via-satellite/ | title=Huge 4,000-year-old termite mounds visible via satellite | Earth | EarthSky | date=28 November 2018 }}] Large species such as ''[Syntermes aculeosus](/source/Syntermes_aculeosus)'' are eaten in some indigenous cultures; for example in the [Makiritare](/source/Makiritare) in the [Alto Orinoco](/source/Alto_Orinoco_Municipality) province of [Venezuela](/source/Venezuela), where they fish the soldiers out via a stick.[{{Cite journal |last1=Paoletti |first1=M. G. |last2=Buscardo |first2=E. |last3=Vanderjagt |first3=D. J. |last4=Pastuszyn |first4=A. |last5=Pizzoferrato |first5=L. |last6=Huang |first6=Y.-S. |last7=Chuang |first7=L.-T. |last8=Glew |first8=R. H. |last9=Millson |first9=M. |last10=Cerda |first10=H. |date=March 2003 |title=Nutrient content of termites(syntermes soldiers) consumed bymakiritare amerindians of the altoorinoco of Venezuela |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/036702403902-2255177 |journal=Ecology of Food and Nutrition |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=177–191 |doi=10.1080/036702403902-2255177 |bibcode=2003EcoFN..42..177P |issn=0367-0244|url-access=subscription }}] A few species are known to cause some damage to cultivated plants like young [Eucalyptus](/source/Eucalyptus), [peanut](/source/peanut)s, [sugarcane](/source/sugarcane) and [yams](/source/Yam_(vegetable)).[{{Cite journal |last=MARTIUS |first=Christopher |date=September 1998 |title=Occurrence, body mass and biomass of Syntermes spp. (Isoptera: Termitidae) in Reserva Ducke, Central Amazonia |journal=Acta Amazonica |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=319 |doi=10.1590/1809-43921998283324 |issn=0044-5967|doi-access=free }}]
The [imago](/source/imago)es have 19-21 antenna articles (antennomeres), the same number as workers. The head is generally round, with the compound eyes and ocelli generally being proportionally smaller than the head capsule. The [postclypeus](/source/Clypeus_(arthropod_anatomy)) is not heavily inflated such as in other ''[Termitidae](/source/Termitidae)''. The [pronotum](/source/pronotum) is mostly the same width as the head although sometimes a bit larger or narrower and mostly flat, and the fontanelle is often circular and large. The wings are long, somewhat narrow and often heavily sclerotized.