Genus Malagasitermes · 马尔加什白蚁属

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

Left mandible index 0.66 (worker); closest to the Oriental Leucopitermes rather than to the African genera of that branch (the smallest left mandible index among the African genera is Eutermellus, at 1.12).

Soldier

Frontal process and vertex with short hairs, few hairs at the nasus base; vertex with a few setae; abdominal tergites and sternites with long dense hairs, the posterior margin of each sclerite with a row of setae about twice the body-hair length; head with a distinct constriction, the posterior part nearly spherical; frontal process conical; antennae 12–13 segments; right mandible with a short pointed apical point, left mandible without an apical point; the angle between the anterior and posterior sections of the lateral pronotal outline less than a right angle.

Worker

The apical teeth of both mandibles relatively larger than the 1st marginal tooth; cutting edge of the 1+2 marginal teeth of the left mandible undulate; a distinct notch retained before the 3rd marginal tooth of the left mandible; 2nd marginal tooth of the right mandible slightly rounded; left mandible index 0.66.

Sources: Emerson, A. E. 1960. New genera of termites related to Subulitermes from the Oriental, Malagasy, and Australian regions (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae). American Museum Novitates 1986: 1-28., pp. 15-16 This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.