Genus Microcerotermes · 锯白蚁属

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) (generic description in the original book's section on Microcerotermes, reorganised and rewritten); the source keys and measurement tables are not reproduced here.

Morphology

Key characters

Soldier head capsule rectangular and thick; frontal pore indistinct; mandibles long and sickle-shaped, the outer margin of the mandibular base mostly concave, the inner margin serrated; antennae with twelve to thirteen segments; pronotum saddle-shaped, much narrower than the head.

Soldier

Soldier head capsule rectangular, fairly thick. Frontal pore indistinct. The posterior margin of the postclypeus raised upwards. Labrum large, its apex rounded or truncate. Mandibles long, sickle-shaped to sabre-shaped, the outer margin of the base mostly concave inwards, the inner margin serrated. Antennae with twelve to thirteen segments. Pronotum saddle-shaped, much narrower than the head capsule. Styli poorly developed.

Alate

Alate head capsule oval, the lateral margins straight; compound eyes not large, protruding outwards. Ocelli small, slightly separated from the compound eyes. The frontal gland opening is often difficult to see. Postclypeus slightly raised, lower than the frons, its anterior margin straight. Antennae with thirteen to fourteen segments. Pronotum small, much narrower than the head capsule; the posterior part of the mesonotum wider than the metanotum. Wing membrane pale brown to dark brown, densely covered with short hairs; radius absent or vestigial; media close to the cubitus. Male with styli. Tibial spur formula 3:2:2.

Biology and economic significance

This genus damages many kinds of crops, forest trees and buildings. In the Arabian Peninsula and elsewhere a Middle Eastern Microcerotermes severely damages timber-framed buildings as well as date palms, cotton and citrus, while in tropical Africa a Microcerotermes with dark tibiae damages cotton and maize. Species of this genus have been intercepted many times in quarantine on timber imported into China.

Distribution

Oriental Region, Australasia, Africa and the Americas; five species are at present known from China, mostly in Yunnan and Hainan, closely related to species of the Indochinese Peninsula.

Summary

Microcerotermes soldiers have a thick rectangular head with an indistinct frontal pore, a large labrum, and long falcate or sabre-like mandibles whose outer base is often concave and whose inner margin is serrate. Antennae have twelve or thirteen segments, the pronotum is saddle-shaped and much narrower than the head, and the styli are rudimentary. Alates are oval-headed with small protruding eyes, thirteen or fourteen antennal segments, densely hairy brownish wings, and a reduced or absent radial vein.

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.