NOMEN: Isoptera Brullé 1832: 66 (non p.100) [M. Brullé. 2 section – Des animaux articules. In: Expedition scientifique de Moree. Section des sciences physiques. Tome III. 1-re Partie. Zoologie. Paris, 1832: 1-400]
ORIGINAL SPELLING (Brullé 1832): Isoptères (in French)
SUBSEQUENT SPELLING (Brauer 1885): Isoptera (in Latin)
ORIGINAL LISTED MEMBERSHIP (Brullé
1832):
les Termes 
Termes 
JUNIOR CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYMS:
= Socialia Gerstaecker 1863 (non Burmeister 1829)
= Socialis
= Sociata
= Isopterina Pearce 1936
= Isopterodea Boudreaux 1979
NON-MONOSEMANTIC CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYM (including Embioptera):
Isoptera
Brullé 1832: p.100 (non p.66) =
Aetioptera Enderlein 1909
TYPIFIED NAME IN BASIC FORMAT: Termes/fg
TYPIFIED NAMES IN USE: Termes, Termitina, Termitinae, Termitides, Termides, Termites, Termina, Termitidae, Termesidi, Termitida
MODERN
STATUS: 
the valid, the
oldest name of a generally accepted, holophyletic taxon.
Systematic position and classification of Isoptera:
|
Holopandictyoptera
=
Pandictyoptera
s.l.
(Blatta/fg1)
pm.Hemiclidoptera
(Mastotermes/fg1)
|
COMMENT. Originally, the name Isoptera Brulle 1832 was published in French transcription ("Isoptères"), without diagnosis and without distinct indication of the taxon circumscription; on page 66 (where a general classification of insects is discussed) is mentioned that the order "Isoptères" is established for termites ("les Termes"); on page 100 of the same publication (in the discussion of a new order Dictyoptera), it is said that the order "Isoptères" unites termites and embiids ("les Termites et ... Embie"). In the end of XIX – beginning of the XX century, the name Isoptera (with Brulle's authorship) was sometimes used for a taxon including only termites, and sometimes for a taxon uniting termites and embiids. The modern tradition is to use this name for termites only.