Genus Leptomyxotermes · 薄喙白蚁属

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

Sands established this genus for the African forest species doriae, which had previously been placed, together with Rhadinotermes, in Coarctotermes. Alate: the cutting edge before the 3rd marginal tooth of the left mandible has a distinct notch, a feature shared with Rhadinotermes and Fulleritermes; but in this genus the compound eyes and ocelli are very large and prominent, the fontanelle is slit-like and does not clearly fork anteriorly, and the molar plate of the right mandible has only 6–7 ridges (7–9 in Fulleritermes, 13–14 in Grallatotermes). Soldier monomorphic with traces of a second morph, nasus columnar, head strongly constricted behind the antennae, antennae 14-segmented.

Alate

Apical tooth of the left mandible as long as the 1st marginal tooth, the distance from the apical tooth to the 1st marginal tooth half the distance between the 1st and 3rd marginal teeth (left mandible index about 50); the cutting edge between the 1st and 3rd marginal teeth with a distinct concavity in front of the 3rd marginal tooth. Apical tooth of the right mandible nearly as long as the 1st marginal tooth, the posterior cutting edge of the 1st marginal tooth about as long as that of the 2nd marginal tooth, the latter distinctly concave; surface of the molar plate with a notch on the anterior margin near the base, the posterior margin extended into a rounded wing, the 1st molar ridge tooth-like, the remaining 6–7 diminishing towards the base. Fontanelle slit-like, not clearly forking anteriorly. Compound eyes and ocelli very large and prominent.

Soldier

A single morph, with traces of a second morph. Nasus columnar. Reduced mandibles with a small point. Head capsule strongly constricted behind the antennae. Antennae 14-segmented.

Sources: Sands W.A. 1965. A revision of the termite subfamily Nasutitermitinae (Isoptera, Termitidae) from the Ethiopian Region. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Entomology, Supplement 4: 1–172. https://doi.org/10.5962/p.193228, p. 51（Leptomyxotermes gen. n.：imago / Soldier；Remarks） This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.