Genus Acangaobitermes · 漏斗白蚁属

Morphology

The descriptions below are an adaptation of the original genus-level accounts; terms follow the meaning of the source, and the original is not transcribed verbatim.

Diagnostic characters

Closely related to Noirotitermes; in both the soldier head capsule surface bears a fine granular micro-sculpture and internal granules, the mandibles are piercing-sucking with only 1 extremely reduced marginal tooth, and the worker habitus and digestive tract are also similar; they differ in soldier head shape, frontal tube and pronotum: in this genus the frontal tube is long and conical, the posterior margin of the head lacks the 4 distinct horn-like projections seen in Noirotitermes, and the pronotum is saddle-shaped (exceptional in Noirotitermes). Compared with other genera of Syntermitinae, in this genus the soldier frontal tube is longer than the labrum, the hyaline tip of the labrum is poorly developed, and the mandibles are strongly upturned with only 1 marginal tooth; Macuxitermes also has occipital projections, but they are less distinct in this genus.

Soldier

Monotypic. Head capsule subquadrate, the sides almost parallel, each posterolateral corner with 1 very distinct projection; head capsule surface densely covered with fine punctures of similar size, forming a micro-sculpture characteristic of the genus; frontal tube conical, upturned, with a rather wide apical opening surrounded by a white membrane; antennae 14-segmented; mandibles slender, piercing-sucking, the blade strongly incurved and upturned, with 1 very small tooth at the base of the blade, molar plate/molar prominence well developed but without ridges; clypeus much reduced; labrum with a rounded, flat, hyaline tip; postmentum subrectangular, anterolateral margins slightly concave; the antero-outer apical margin of each coxa with an outwardly projecting keel-like process; tibial spur formula 2:2:2. Head orange, mandibles rust-coloured, body pale yellow.

Worker

Monotypic. Head capsule circular; postclypeus inflated; antennae 14-segmented; left mandible apical tooth larger than M1+2, the cutting edge between M1+2 and M3 undulate, M3 distinct and smaller than M1+2, molar tooth distinct, partly hidden by the molar prominence, molar prominence concave, without ridges; right mandible apical tooth larger than the marginal tooth, M1 and M2 distinctly separated, molar plate concave, without ridges; coxa smooth, without projections; body slender, the digestive tract visible through the sternites; tibial spur formula 2:2:2. Digestive tract: crop asymmetrical, without a constriction between it and the gizzard; gizzard with 24 folds, 6 primary, 6 secondary, 12 tertiary; columnar band and cushion band about equal in width; Malpighian tubules 2 pairs, arising at the midgut–hindgut junction; P1 oblique to the body axis, more inflated than the midgut; P2 on the left side of the body; P3 slightly constricted between P3a and P3b; dorsal torsion well developed; P4a inflated, folded back in a U shape, P4b tubular.

Sources: Rocha M. M.; Cancello E. M.; Cuezzo C. 2011. A new genus and species of mandibulate nasute termite (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae) from Brazil. ZooKeys 148: 125–134., pp. 127–129 This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.