Genus Amicotermes · 善白蚁属

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

Compound eyes relatively small, W/E about 4.5; all other genera and species are below 4.2, most below 4.0. Fore coxa and remaining legs strongly setose, the tibial apex and femoral base with opposing interlocking setae when folded, the only genus with this feature. Worker enteric valve inner cushion spinose, the valve wall also with a fringe of fine spines.

Worker

Medium-sized, W 0.76 mm. Fore tibia weakly inflated, Ti/Tw about 4.3, with 3 apical spurs, the third small, about 1/3 of the other two. Fore coxa and remaining legs strongly setose and spinose, the setae at the tibial apex and femoral base opposing and interlocking when folded. Mandibular apical teeth very long, La/Li 1.09, Ra/Ri 1.33; left mandible accessory marginal tooth just clear of the molar prominence; right mandible 1st marginal tooth apex distinctly behind the line between the apical tooth and the 2nd marginal tooth, the 1st and 2nd marginal tooth anterior margins nearly equal. Midgut and hindgut nearly transverse, slightly bent, to the right of the Malpighian tubule knot. Enteric valve seat distinctly trilobed, the third lobe only slightly smaller than the two outer lobes, connected by a very long neck to the second hindgut pouch, laterally situated in the unopened abdomen; enteric valve inner cushion protruding through the valve opening, position 3 slightly longer than the rest, each bearing numerous irregularly arranged long spines on the posterior 1/3, the remaining surface scaly, most scale margins with small spines or spinules; the valve wall with numerous fine but prominent small spines outside the cushions, and a spine fringe between the cushions.

Alate

Medium-sized, W 1.01 mm. Compound eyes relatively small, W/E about 4.5. Fore tibia with 3 apical spurs, the third very small, almost vestigial; fore coxa densely setose, the anterior margin slightly spinose. Mandibular apical teeth very long, La/Li 0.99, Ra/Ri 1.36; left mandible accessory marginal tooth just clear of the molar prominence; right mandible 1st marginal tooth apex distinctly behind the line between the apical tooth and the 2nd marginal tooth, the 1st and 2nd marginal tooth anterior margins nearly equal. Meso- and metanotal plates rather narrow at the constriction, M/W 0.28, transverse suture absent.

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. 152–154 This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.