Genus Aderitotermes · 谐白蚁属

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

The alate is easily recognised by the combination of a prominent fontanelle, a very short, fine, even silvery head pilosity and large size; the only sympatric superficially similar species is Astratotermes prosenus, which is larger and has uneven pilosity. The long mixed segment of the worker distinguishes it from most other genera; Adaiphrotermes shares this feature, but its midgut is inflated distally and that of this genus is not.

Worker

Large, W 0.90–0.99 mm. Fore tibia weakly to scarcely inflated, Ti/Tw 4.21–5.31, with 3 apical spurs, the third about half the other two. Mandibular apical teeth rather short to medium-long, La/Li 0.60–0.79, Ra/Ri 0.78–1.00; left mandible accessory marginal tooth separated from the molar prominence by a distinct notch; right mandible 1st marginal tooth apex slightly behind the line between the apical tooth and the 2nd marginal tooth, the marginal tooth anterior margins equal in length. Midgut and hindgut overlap, elongated into a distinct mixed segment about 4–5 times the midgut width at the Malpighian tubule insertion, the proximal hindgut far to the left of the Malpighian tubule knot. Enteric valve seat with 3 prominent equal lobes, regularly arranged, connected by a distinct to very long neck to the second hindgut pouch, entirely dorsal in the unopened abdomen; enteric valve inner cushion retracted or protruding through the valve opening, not sclerotised, the surface scaly, the valve wall with minute to prominent small spines between and outside the cushions.

Alate

Large, W 1.04–1.31 mm. Fore tibia with 3 apical spurs, the third well developed, about 2/3 of the other two. Mandibular apical teeth rather short, La/Li 0.54–0.68, Ra/Ri 0.73–1.06; left mandible accessory marginal tooth separated from the molar prominence by a distinct notch; right mandible apical and marginal tooth apices about in a line, the 1st and 2nd marginal tooth anterior margins equal in length. Fontanelle round to shortly oval, prominent, markedly paler than the head capsule; head pilosity of short, fine, even silvery felt hairs, with projecting setae. Meso- and metanotal plates rather broad at the constriction, M/W 0.28–0.34, transverse suture present.

Sources: Sands W. A. 1972. The soldierless termites of Africa (Isoptera: Termitidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Entomology Supplement 18: 1–244. doi 10.5962/p.192782., pp. 222–223 This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.