Genus Bulbitermes · 瓢白蚁属

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

Nasute soldiers, soldiers monomorphic, head capsule with a constriction behind the antennal sockets — this is precisely the character on which Emerson (in Snyder 1949) separated the genus from Nasutitermes, and the condition on which the present paper retains it. Compared with Nasutitermes: in the latter the soldier head capsule has no constriction behind the antennal sockets, the head capsule varies greatly in size and shape, the rostrum is conical to cylindrical, and the antennae are 11–14-segmented. The authors also note that to date the genus has no single absolute diagnostic character, and that in many specimens from the Sunda region the constriction is almost invisible; the genus boundary still rests on a combination of characters (monomorphic soldiers + post-antennal-socket constriction) together with molecular barcodes, rather than on a single diagnostic feature.

Soldier

Head nasute: head capsule subcircular or pyriform in dorsal view, with a constriction of varying strength behind the antennal sockets; posterior margin broadly convex, weakly concave or almost straight in the middle; dorsal outline including the nasus almost straight, the tip of the nasus upturned or downturned. The nasus is usually darker than the anterior part of the head capsule, its tip with 4 setae; setae on the head surface sparse; pronotum and abdominal tergites hairy (microtrichia or short hairs). Mandibular apical process weakly to moderately developed. Antennae 12–14-segmented: the four species recorded have 12, 13 and 14 segments respectively, and mostly 12 with a few 13; the relative length and width of the segments is the main basis for separating species in this paper. Pronotum saddle-shaped, anterior margin weakly concave or almost straight in the middle, posterior margin broadly convex or deeply concave in the middle; tibiae pale yellow to yellowish white.

Worker

Workers of the four species recorded here: antennae 13–15-segmented (13, 14, 15 and 14 segments respectively in the four species), segment 2 mostly distinctly longer than segments 3 and 4, segment 4 often the shortest. Left mandible apical tooth nearly as long as the 1st marginal tooth or the apical tooth shorter, the 3rd marginal tooth moderately projecting beyond the cutting edge, the 4th marginal tooth almost completely concealed behind the molar process; right mandible 2nd marginal tooth with a nearly straight or weakly concave posterior margin, the inner layer of the molar plate poorly developed, the notch near the proximal end of the molar plate indistinct or only faintly marked.

Sources: Syaukani; Thompson G. J. 2011. Taxonomic notes on Nasutitermes and Bulbitermes (Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae) from the Sunda region of Southeast Asia based on morphological and molecular characters. ZooKeys 148: 135–160., Discussion, section 'Soldier of Bulbitermes' 与 'On identifying Nasutitermes and Bulbitermes'；Results, Species descriptions（四种 Bulbitermes 的 Soldier / Workers 段）与 Key 1 This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.