Genus Cubitermes · 方白蚁属

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

Belonging to Cubitermitinae, with a mixed segment; the second hindgut paunch (P3) of workers, soldiers and alates all bear a caecal projection. Soldier labrum deeply cleft, mandibles sickle-shaped with the inner margin generally smooth, each side with 1 distinct marginal tooth near the molar area; alate antennae mostly 16-segmented, pronotum distinctly wider than long and narrower than the head width including the compound eyes; tibial spur formula 3:2:2 in all castes, with an additional 0:2:0 proximal spines on the mid and hind legs.

Alate

Head capsule strongly sclerotised, generally dark (C6–C8, old specimens may fade to C4); frontal pore concolorous with the head capsule or 1–5 grades paler; postclypeus C4–C7, usually 1–2 grades paler than the head capsule. Antennae C4–C7, without obvious difference in colour between proximal and distal segments, mostly 16-segmented (about 7% 15-segmented, about 1% 17-segmented). Compound eyes subcircular to short oval; ocelli subcircular to oval, their distance from the compound eye about equal to their own greatest diameter. Labrum bell-shaped, generally wider than long. Left mandible apical tooth longer than the first marginal tooth, marginal teeth 3, the second expressed only as an undulation of the cutting edge between the first and third; molar prominence rounded and blunt dorsally, ending posteriorly in a small pointed process. Right mandible marginal teeth 2, the first with a sharp tip when fresh, the second smaller with a blunt tip; molar tooth with a rounded, blunt labial process on the ventral surface, heel-shaped posteriorly. Pronotum distinctly wider than long, narrower than the head width including the compound eyes, flat to slightly saddle-shaped, anterior lobe short and slightly raised. Wings hyaline, with a brownish to greyish tinge, the costa darker; R1 completely fused with the costal margin and sclerotised, Rs simple and sclerotised, M not sclerotised, dividing into 2–7 branches near the wing apex, Cu dividing into 7–14 branches reaching the posterior margin. Hindgut caecum small, amorphous, button-shaped.

Soldier

Head capsule generally dark (Cd3–Cd6), with a smooth or rather abrupt transition from the dark frons to the paler posterior part; antennae and labrum usually paler than the head capsule. Mandibles dark (C6–C8), with a ring of abruptly paler colour at the base, mostly concolorous with the frons. Head in dorsal view with the sides mostly subparallel (often slightly narrowed at the posterior 1/3–1/4) or slightly convex, slightly converging forwards to the antennal sockets and then more distinctly converging towards the mandibular bases; in lateral view the upper margin straight to distinctly concave, with or without a frontal projection on the frons. Antennae mostly 14.5–15-segmented, rarely 14-segmented (about 12%). Labrum always more or less deeply cleft, length/width ratio variable, the sides straight, slightly concave or harp-shaped, rarely convex; lobe tips rounded, angular or with a white translucent tip; anterior margin concave, circular to V-shaped. Mandibles sickle-shaped, curvature variable, inner margin generally smooth (rarely finely serrate), each side with 1 distinct marginal tooth near the molar tooth, sometimes very small; mandibles generally shorter than or slightly longer than the head length. Pronotum saddle-shaped, width 45%–90% of the head width, anterior margin entire to distinctly notched in the middle. Tibial apical spurs of fore, mid and hind legs 3:2:2, proximal spurs 0:2:0 (the latter sometimes weak). Hindgut caecum small, amorphous or lobed, situated near the middle of the abdomen; enteric valve on the left side, the symmetry of the secondary sexual character may be six-radiate, three-radiate, bilaterally symmetrical or irregular.

Worker

Head capsule pale (C1–C3); basal antennal segments pale (C2–C3), distal segments distinctly darker (C4–C5); thorax and legs pale (C1–C3); abdomen grey to reddish brown owing to the gut contents. Hindgut P3 with a caecal projection, an important internal character distinguishing it from related genera.

Sources: Josens G.; Deligne J. 2019. Species groups in the genus Cubitermes (Isoptera: Termitidae) defined on the basis of enteric valve morphology. European Journal of Taxonomy 515: 1–72., pp. 23–27 This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.