Genus Prohamitermes · 前钩白蚁属

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

Alate, soldier and worker all known. Alate: head broadly oval, compound eyes large and flatly convex, not projecting, ocelli level with the frontal surface, fontanelle distinct and rather far back, postclypeal basis far shorter than half its width; antennae 15-segmented. Soldier: head oval, slightly narrowing anteriorly, eyeless, fontanelle very weak, labrum nearly triangular without a hyaline apical point, mandibles sickle-curved with 2 small teeth on each side at the middle, submentum strongly humped at the middle; antennae 14-segmented; fore tibia with 3 spurs, meso- and metatibia with 2 each. Worker: postclypeal basis lenticular, rather strongly arched, antennae 14-segmented.

Alate

Head (rather) broad, oval, slightly longer than wide; compound eyes rather large, flatly convex, not projecting; ocelli level with the frontal surface (inner margin not raised), distance to the compound eye less than their diameter; fontanelle distinct, rather far back. Postclypeal basis far shorter than half its width, posterior margin only slightly convex, anterior margin straight, nearly flat. Labrum at the middle wider than at the base, without a chitinous transverse band. Mandibles with the Termes-type armature, base not excessively projecting. Antennae 15-segmented, segment 3 shorter than segment 2 and as long as segment 4. Pronotum small, saddle very weak, anterior margin straight; emargination of the posterior margin of the mesonotum wider than that of the metanotum; posterior angles rounded. Forewing scale slightly longer than the hindwing scale; wings covered with fine hairs; in the forewing the media arises directly from the wing scale, in the hindwing the media arises from the radial sector. Cerci short, without styli; dealate individual no larger than the soldier; lateral margins of the female abdomen finely and densely longitudinally wrinkled; glandular setae rather sparse in both sexes; apical spur 3 of the tibia reduced.

Soldier

Head oval, slightly narrowing anteriorly, flatly convex, flattening anteriorly towards the labrum; eyeless; cranial sutures invisible. Fontanelle very weak, about the middle of the head; fontanelle gland small. Postclypeus short and flat. Labrum nearly triangular, without a hyaline apical point. Mandibles sickle-curved, sharply pointed, base large, middle rather short, apex long, its base slightly tooth-like widened; each side of the middle with 2 small teeth; each side of the base with 1 small, rather wide molar prominence. Antennae 14-segmented, segment 3 only slightly longer than segment 2, segment 2 slightly longer than segment 4. Submentum strongly humped (or bullate) at the middle. Pronotum rather small, upfolded in a very strong saddle (almost a right angle), anterior lobe as long as the posterior part; cerci short, without styli. Fore tibia with 3 apical spurs, meso- and metatibia with 2 each.

Worker

Head oval, widest at the antennae; fontanelle rather far back. Postclypeal basis lenticular, shorter than half its width, rather strongly arched. Toothed inner margin of the left mandible shortened, molar region strongly projecting, roughly as in Hamitermes. Antennae 14-segmented, segment 2 as long as segment 3 and slightly longer than segment 4. Pronotum with a strong saddle, anterior lobe longer than the posterior part.

Sources: Holmgren N. 1912. Termitenstudien. 3. Systematik der Termiten. Die Familie Metatermitidae. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar 48(4): 1–166., pp. 78–79（Gattung Prohamitermes n. g.；Imago、Soldat、Arbeiter） This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.