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Like ants, termites are entirely eusocial and have profound ecological significance in the tropics. Following upon recent studies reporting more than a quarter of all known fossil termites, we present the first phylogeny of termite lineages using exemplar Cretaceous, Tertiary, and Recent taxa. Relationships among Recent families were largely unaffected by the addition of extinct taxa, but the analysis revealed extensive grades of stem-group taxa and the divergence of some modern families in the Cretaceous. Rhinotermitidae, Serritermitidae, and the ''higher'' termites (family Termitidae), which comprise 84% of the world termite species, diverged and radiated entirely in the Tertiary, corresponding to a significant increase in termite individuals in the fossil record. Radiation of the higher termites may have affected the formation of terrestrial carbon reserves like oil and coal. The higher classification of Isoptera is slightly revised based on the phylogenetic results. The following new taxa are proposed: Cratomastotermitidae, new family; Euisoptera, new clade; Archotermopsidae, new family; and Neoisoptera, new clade. In addition, the families Stolotermitidae, Stylotermitidae, and Archeorhinotermitidae are newly recognized or resurrected, and the families Termopsidae and Hodotermitidae are significantly restricted in composition.

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Thirty-nine available family-group names are identified within the insect order Isoptera (termites). For all names the correct author, date, type genus, and combining stem are provided for the first time. This nomenclatural compilation is done to stabilize the usage of familygroup names in the Isoptera in advance of a world catalog. Several problems of priority are identified and discussed. The little understood subfamily Foraminitermitinae is diagnosed; while generally believed by many authors to be a new, unnamed subfamily, it was in fact established by Holmgren nearly a century ago. The subfamilies Syntermitinae and Sphaerotermitinae are newly proposed for the mandibulate genera of nasute termites and for Sphaerotermes, respectively. The classification of Isoptera is briefly outlined.