Genus Ruptitermes · 腹爆白蚁属

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

The anterior abdomen of the worker bears a pair of well-developed spherical dehiscent glands, which may occupy 1/3 of the abdominal volume and are usually white masses, hence easy to recognise; the glands are an autapomorphy of the genus, absent in all other termite genera. The alate is larger than most Neotropical Apicotermitinae, and is distinguished from Aparatermes by the postclypeus not being depressed at both ends of the midline.

Alate

Head short, broad and rounded in dorsal view, densely covered with short hairs and scattered setae; fontanelle oval to circular, usually distinct; compound eyes relatively small, ocelli round or oval, at least their diameter away from the compound eye; postclypeus small to large, moderately to strongly inflated, depressed at both ends of the midline, the midline distinct but incomplete, disappearing near the anterior and posterior margins; antennae 15 segments; each tibia with 2 spurs; wing surface evenly covered with irregular micro-scales with 2–4 arms; female larger than male.

Worker

Worker monotypic (a few species noted otherwise). Head broad and rounded, usually strongly sclerotised, dark; fontanelle oval to circular, variable in size and colour, usually distinct; postclypeus inflated or flattened. Apical tooth of the left mandible (A) shorter than the first marginal tooth (M1), a notch always present between M1 and M3; molar plate of the right mandible concave, without ridges. Antennae 14 segments; fore tibia with 1–2 rows of irregular spiny setae, in most species the fore coxa with a curved or oval row of spines. The pair of spherical dehiscent glands in the anterior abdomen may reach 1/3 of the abdominal volume. Gut: crop mostly very small, gizzard unarmed, mixed segment short to very short, P1 a long tube; enteric valve bilaterally symmetrical, with 6 unclerotised reticulate ridges, in most species without spines; enteric valve armature (EVA) absent, only R. bandeirai excepted.

Sources: Acioli A. N. S.; Constantino R. 2015. A taxonomic revision of the neotropical termite genus Ruptitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitinae). Zootaxa 4032: 451-492. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4032.5.1, Description › Imago（p. 454）；Description › Worker（p. 454）；Description › Gut morphology（p. 454–455）; Carrijo T. F.; Castro D.; Wang M.; Constantini J. P.; Bourguignon T.; Cancello E. M.; Scheffrahn R. H. 2023. Diminishing the taxonomic gap in the neotropical soldierless termites: descriptions of four new genera and a new Anoplotermes species (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitinae). ZooKeys 1167: 317-352. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1167.100001, Comparison and remarks (Dissimulitermes) This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.