Genus Astratotermes · 无刃白蚁属

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

Some species are close to Astalotermes, and the only generic character that clearly separates the two is the presence of small spines on the enteric valve cushions. The remaining characters (mandibles of alate and worker, fontanelle, length of the worker gut, development of the mixed segment) vary very widely, and Sands therefore suspected that both genera may be artificial assemblages.

Worker

Medium-sized to very large, W 0.78–1.09 mm. Fore tibia slightly inflated or slender, Ti/Tw 4.54–7.08, with 3 apical spurs, the third distinct and never reduced. Apical tooth of the mandible short to long, La/Li 0.40–0.88, Ra/Ri 0.62–1.10; the proximal end of the subsidiary tooth of the left mandible is just to far clear of the molar prominence, or separated by a deep notch; the marginal teeth of the right mandible are in line, or the first marginal tooth is set back. The junction of midgut and hindgut ranges from an oblique union to an overlap of about twice the width of the midgut; the proximal end of the hindgut lies to the right of the Malpighian knot and, in the longer ones, may pass half-way into it. Enteric valve seat weakly to strongly bilobed or trilobed, joined by a distinct to very long neck; in the undissected abdomen it lies ventrally to dorsally. Enteric valve cushions scaly, the posterior margin of most scales ending in 1 minute spine, none projecting through the valve opening.

Alate

Medium-sized to very large, W 0.98–1.61 mm. Fore tibia with 3 apical spurs, the third only slightly smaller than the other two. Apical tooth of the mandible short to moderately long, La/Li 0.46–0.80, Ra/Ri 0.58–1.07; the proximal end of the subsidiary tooth of the left mandible is just to far clear of the molar prominence, or separated by a distinct notch; the tips of the apical and marginal teeth of the right mandible are almost in line, the anterior margin of the first marginal tooth being distinctly longer than that of the second, or nearly equal. Meso- and metanotal plates rather narrow to slightly wide at the constriction, M/W 0.24–0.35, transverse sutures always present, sometimes weak.

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. 105–108 This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.