Genus Glyptotermes · 树白蚁属

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 Glyptotermes section of the original book); the source keys and measurement tables are not reproduced here.

Morphology

Key characters

Soldier with an elongate head capsule, the vertex often raised above the rest and forming twin peaks; mandibles short and stout, much shorter relative to head length than in Neotermes; antennae short, mostly 10–12-segmented; labrum square; tarsi 4-segmented.

Soldier

Soldier with an elongate head capsule, the vertex usually higher than the rest of the head, forming twin peaks. Frontal surface either sloping or steep; in some species the frontal wrinkles are coarse and deep, in others smooth or with punctate sculpture. Antennae short, mostly 10–12-segmented. Mandibles short and stout, much shorter relative to head length than in Neotermes, with several distinct marginal teeth, the basal ridge of the mandible prominent or flat. Pronotum flattened and broad. Labrum mostly square. Femora not thickened. Spur formula 3:3:3, tarsi 4-segmented.

Alate

The alate largely resembles that of Kalotermes, differing in that the media of the wing is straight and closely appressed to the radial sector, and neither media nor radius branches. Antennae 12–15-segmented, spur formula 3:3:3, tarsi 4-segmented; the structure of the legs and wings is similar to that of Kalotermes.

Distribution

Recorded from the Oriental, Australian, Neotropical and Afrotropical regions.

Summary

Glyptotermes soldiers have an elongate head whose vertex is often raised and doubly peaked, with a sloping or steep frons that may be wrinkled, smooth or punctate. Antennae are short, mostly ten to twelve segments, and the mandibles are short and stout with several distinct marginal teeth, much shorter relative to the head than in Neotermes. The labrum is usually quadrate, the pronotum flat and broad, and the tibial spur formula three to three to three.

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.