Genus Dicuspiditermes · 突扭白蚁属

Fauna Sinica account

The account below is a reorganized and rewritten adaptation of the genus-level description in Fauna Sinica, Insecta Vol. 17, Isoptera (2000) (genus-level account reorganised and rewritten from the Dicuspiditermes section of the original book); the source keys and measurement tables are not reproduced here.

Morphology

Key characters

Soldier with a rectangular head, the anterior part raised; an anterolateral process below each antennal socket; mandibles asymmetrical, the left twisted into a hook, the right straight as a blade; lateral corners of the labrum projecting forwards like needles; antennae 14-segmented; pronotum saddle-shaped.

Soldier

Soldier with a rectangular head capsule, the anterior part raised, with an anterolateral horn-like process on each side below the antennal sockets. Mandibles asymmetrical: the left twisted, its apex curved inwards into a hook; the right straighter, blade-like. Anterior margin of the labrum deeply concave, the lateral corners slender as needles and projecting far forwards. Antennae 14-segmented. Pronotum saddle-shaped, its width far less than the head width.

Alate

Alate with a broad oval head capsule, slightly narrowed anteriorly, densely covered with long and short hairs. Fontanelle generally slender, slit-like; compound eyes elliptical; ocelli oval and separate from the compound eyes. Postclypeus raised. Apical tooth of the left mandible short, slightly larger than or almost equal to the first marginal tooth, which in turn is larger than the second; the posterior margin of the first marginal tooth of the right mandible long. Antennae 14–15-segmented.

Distribution

Oriental region; distributed in tropical and subtropical areas, recorded from southern China.

Summary

Soldiers of Dicuspiditermes have a rectangular head raised in front, with a projecting anterolateral corner beneath each antennal socket. The mandibles are asymmetric: the left is twisted and hooked at the apex, the right is straight and sabre-like. The labrum is deeply notched in front and its lateral corners extend forward as long needle-like points. Antennae are 14-segmented and the pronotum is saddle-shaped, much narrower than the head. The genus is Oriental.

Sources cited: Huang Fusheng, Zhu Shimo, Ping Zhengming, Wang Zhiguo, Li Can and Xu Chungui, 2000. Fauna Sinica, Insecta Vol. 17, Isoptera. Beijing: Science Press. This text is a reorganized adaptation, not a verbatim transcription.