Genus Asagarotermes · 无剑白蚁属

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

In the alate the meso- and metanotal constriction is narrow, and in the key the genus comes nearest to Anenteotermes and to group I of Astalotermes. The length of the apical tooth is comparable with that in Aganotermes and Amicotermes, but in the latter two the subsidiary tooth of the left mandible is clear of the molar prominence, the ocelli are closer to the compound eye, and the postclypeus is more inflated. The enteric valve cushions of the worker bear no spines other than a single spiny sclerotised coronal band, a character unique to the genus.

Worker

Large, W 0.85–0.88 mm. Fore tibia weakly inflated, Ti/Tw 4.40–4.49, with 3 apical spurs, the third about half as long as the other two. Apical tooth of the mandible very long, La/Li 0.96–0.99, Ra/Ri 1.11–1.16; the proximal end of the subsidiary tooth of the left mandible has just left the molar prominence; the tip of the first marginal tooth of the right mandible lies distinctly behind the line joining the apical tooth and the second marginal tooth, the anterior margins of the marginal teeth being equal in length. Midgut and hindgut overlap by about 1.5 times the width of the midgut at the insertion of the Malpighian tubules, the anterior end of the hindgut lying within the Malpighian knot. Enteric valve seat almost without lobes, in effect a rim, sessile, attached to the second hindgut pouch; in the undissected abdomen it lies laterally. Enteric valve cushions weak, not sclerotised, without spines, each with only a narrow, strongly sclerotised spiny coronal band around its middle.

Alate

Medium-sized, W 1.03–1.10 mm. Fore tibia with 3 apical spurs, the third almost as large as the other two. Apical tooth of the mandible rather long, La/Li 0.78–0.80, Ra/Ri 1.09–1.18; the proximal end of the subsidiary tooth of the left mandible has just left the molar prominence; the tips of the apical and marginal teeth of the right mandible are more or less in line, the anterior margin of the first marginal tooth being slightly longer than that of the second, almost equal. Meso- and metanotal plates narrow at the constriction, M/W 0.20–0.33, transverse sutures strong. Ocelli rather close to the compound eye; postclypeus rather inflated.

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. 187–189 This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.