Genus Cornitermes · 角象白蚁属

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

Alate relatively large, wings hyaline; antennae 15–17 segments; base of clypeus strongly arched, as long as half its width; mandibular first tooth sometimes larger than the second, third tooth of the left mandible stepped. Soldier head more or less rectangular, frontal gland opening large, at the apex of a long or short frontal tube, antennae 13–15 segments, third segment usually shorter than the second; all tibiae with only 2 apical spurs, styli absent. Holmgren 1912 divided the genus into two subgenera, Labiotermes and Cornitermes s. str.

Alate

Relatively large, wings hyaline. Head broadly oval, narrowing anteriorly; compound eyes projecting; ocelli lateral, medium-sized to very large, close to the compound eyes or fairly far from them. Frontal gland opening large and distinct. Base of clypeus as long as half its width, strongly arched, posterior margin strongly convex, anterior margin mostly straight, labrum broader than long. Mandibular first tooth sometimes larger than the second, third tooth of the left mandible stepped, molar region rather well developed. Antennae 15–17 segments, third segment shorter to longer than the second. Pronotum narrower than the head, flat, anterior corners only slightly deflexed; posterior margins of meso- and metanotum broad, more or less broadly rounded. Wings hyaline, only the costa and the radial sector dark and distinct, the remaining veins hyaline and weak; wing membrane rather densely covered with fine hairs; radius reduced, hardly extending beyond the wing scale; radial sector somewhat distant from the anterior margin; media of forewing arising beyond the wing scale, media of hindwing arising at the base of the radial sector, sometimes branching at or before the middle of the wing; cubitus without a thickened basal vein, or only very weakly so. All tibiae with only 2 apical spurs. Cerci short, styli absent.

Soldier

Head more or less rectangular, rather thick. Frontal gland opening large, at the apex of a long or short frontal tube; the frons in front of the tube slopes gradually towards the mouthparts. Clypeus almost indistinguishable from the transverse band, apex often corneous, always supported by two anteriorly diverging chitinous bands. Labrum either elongate and narrowing anteriorly, or shorter, widest at the middle, apex hyaline. Mandibles stout, sickle-shaped: left mandible with 2 to several incisor teeth, sometimes with a large base; right mandible often with its middle and base fused into a large masticatory part. Antennae 13–15 segments, third segment usually shorter than the second, sometimes equal or longer. Pronotum narrower than the head, weakly saddle-shaped, anterior lobe very large, reaching the neck. Tibiae with 2 apical spurs; cerci short; styli absent.

Worker

Head pale yellow to white, subcircular to pentagonal and rounded, widest at the level of the antennae, flattened and arched. Clypeus large and arched. Mandibular first tooth either not larger than the second or distinctly larger. Antennae 14–16 segments, mostly 15. Pronotum as in the soldier; meso- and metanotum strongly compressed by the strongly arched abdomen.

Sources: Holmgren, N. 1912. Termitenstudien 3. Systematik der Termiten. Die Familien Mastotermitidae, Protermitidae und Mesotermitidae. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar 48(4): 1–166, Taf. 1–4., pp. 49—50（archive.org 项 biostor-184513 页面图像） This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.