Genus Spinitermes · 针刺白蚁属

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

Holmgren 1912 treated it as a subgenus of Mirotermes (Mirotermes (Spinitermes)) and noted that it occurs 'only in South America', containing 4 species: brevicornutus (Desn.) Silv. (Mato Grosso, Paraguay), gracilis Holmgr. (Peru), nigrostomus Holmgr. (Bolivia) and trispinosus (Bates) Wasm. (Cuiabá, Amazon). The original gives only one line of characters in a key to the subgenera of the genus and provides no separate description; the alate and worker are not dealt with in that work. The soldier is recognised by the following combination: frontal projection large and projecting, with a distinct tubercle or projection on each side; posterior margin of the head without tooth-like projections; labrum wider than long; mandibles far shorter than the head, fairly robust, slightly sabre-shaped and curved.

Soldier

From the key to the subgenera: frontal projection large and projecting, with a distinct tubercle or projection on each side. Posterior margin of the head without tooth-like projections. Labrum wider than long. Mandibles far shorter than the head, fairly robust, slightly sabre-shaped and curved (plate IV, fig. 7). The adjacent subgenus Tuberculitermes in the same key differs in having a nearly tooth-like projection on each side of the posterior margin of the head, a labrum far longer than wide, and mandibles as long as the head and straight, with the apex hooked back.

Sources: Holmgren, N. 1912. Termitenstudien 3. Systematik der Termiten. Die Familien Mastotermitidae, Protermitidae und Mesotermitidae. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar 48(4): 1–166, Taf. 1–4., pp. 108—109（archive.org 项 biostor-184513 页面图像） This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.