Genus Neocapritermes · 新扭白蚁属

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

Neotropical Termitinae: the soldier has markedly asymmetrical, snapping mandibles, the frons lacks a 'nasus'-like or conical horizontal process and the front has no frontal gland; monotypic; fontanelle circular; head not flattened, the posterior margin evenly rounded (only N. bodkini has a slight median concavity on the posterior margin). Closely related to Planicapritermes; Ahmad (1950) regarded the two as the most primitive groups of Termitinae in respect of the worker–alate mandibles (apical tooth small, posterior margin of the 2nd marginal tooth of the right mandible straight), placed in a separate branch before the Capritermes branch.

Alate

Head usually without a dense pilosity, in a few species with short hairs and a few setae of two sizes; pronotal pilosity rather dense. Fontanelle plate sclerotised, without a visible opening. Ocelli large, not touching the compound eye. Antennae 16 or 17 segments. Mandibles as in Fig. 1: apical tooth of the left mandible small, the posterior margin of the fused 1st+2nd marginal teeth long, the 3rd marginal tooth well developed; posterior margin of the 2nd marginal tooth of the right mandible straight. Meso- and metanotal plates deeply and broadly incised. Tibial spur formula 3:2:2 (2:2:2 only in N. bodkini); mid tibia without spines or with 1, 2 to several spines.

Soldier

Monotypic (body size variable). Head usually long, nearly rectangular (distinctly narrowed anteriorly in bodkini, villosus and utiariti); fontanelle small (larger in bodkini), circular, with 1 distinct line running from the fontanelle back to the posterior margin of the head; in a few species the postclypeus is deformed and drawn upwards into a prominent spine-like process. Antennae 15 or 16 segments, segments 5–16 elongated in a few species. Labrum asymmetrical, deflected to the right to accommodate the deformation of the left mandible; anterior margin variable in shape: tongue-shaped, the two sides converging into a bluntly rounded tip, or with two lateral lobules plus 1 median lobule (trilobed). Mandibles asymmetrical: the left mandible rather well developed at the base, with a ridge and a concavity on the outer base in lateral view, moderately or strongly curved about 1/3 from the base, then extending in an undulating manner to the inflated tip, with 1 tooth-like process near the base fitting into the corresponding notch of the right mandible; right mandible straighter and shorter. Pronotum saddle-shaped, the anterior lobe upturned. Tibial spur formula 3:2:2 (2:2:2 in bodkini); mid tibia with or without small outer spines. Fore coxa with a dark sclerotised longitudinal ridge bearing a row of spines.

Sources: Krishna K.; Araujo R. L. 1968. A revision of the neotropical termite genus Neocapritermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Termitinae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 138: 85–130., pp. 88–89（Imago 与 Soldier 属级诊断；工蚁上颚见图 1） This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.