Genus Termes · 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

Termes in Holmgren 1912 is a genus in the broad sense, containing two subgenera, Macrotermes and Termes s. str., distinguished by the size of the pronotum of the alate: in Macrotermes the pronotum is large and wide, in Termes s. str. it is narrower and shorter (s. str. is the present-day Termes). Note: the 'large and small forms' of soldiers and workers in the broad genus are a character of Macrotermes, whereas in the narrow Termes s. str. (the present-day Termes) both soldiers and workers are monotypic. Diagnostic characters of Termes s. str.: soldier mandibles sickle-shaped, the base of the left mandible with three notches and a distinct basal tooth; alate antennae 19-segmented, segment 3 longer than segment 2; protibia with 3 apical spurs, meso- and metatibia with 2 each.

Alate

Head broadly oval. Compound eyes usually slightly protruding, or strongly protruding. Frontal gland opening distinct, slightly raised; frontal gland plate present. Ocelli more or less separated from the compound eyes, rather large, inner margin slightly raised, hence directed somewhat laterally. Clypeus about as long as half its width; base raised, posterior margin convex, anterior margin straight, distal part usually relatively small. Labrum longer than wide, with a chitinous transverse band. Mandibles with the Termes-type dentition. Antennae 19-segmented, segment 3 longer than segment 2. Pronotum narrower and shorter. Posterior margins of mesonotum and metanotum with a rather weak arcuate invagination. Radius extending slightly beyond the wing scale; media of the forewing separate from the wing scale, media of the hindwing arising from the base of the radial sector. Protibia with 3 apical spurs, meso- and metatibia with 2 each. Cerci short; styli present, very small to reduced. Lateral membranes of the queen's abdomen without exudatory setae, wrinkled.

Soldier

Monotypic. Sides of the head nearly parallel; frontal gland opening and frontal gland always present, compound eyes always indicated by a bright spot. Frons flat, its posterior part bounded by two shallow grooves leading to the frontal gland opening. Base of the clypeus rather narrow, rectangular, its posterior boundary indistinct; distal part very short, transparent. Labrum widest at or in front of the middle, with a well-developed transparent distal part. Mandibles of variable length, sickle-shaped; base of the left mandible with three notches and a distinct basal tooth, the right mandible toothless apart from the basal tooth. Antennae 17-segmented, segment 3 longer than segment 2. Postmentum narrow, rectangular, narrowest at the middle. Pronotum narrower than the head width, anterior part slightly strongly upturned, anterior and posterior margins more or less distinctly concave. Protibia with 3 apical spurs, meso- and metatibia with 2 each. Cerci 2-segmented; styli small to reduced.

Worker

Monotypic. Head indistinctly pentagonal, bluntly rounded; frontal gland opening very distinct, circular, white. Compound eyes appearing as a distinct bright spot behind the antennae. Base of the clypeus short, relatively strongly raised, distal part large and transparent. Labrum longer than wide, with a chitinous transverse band. Mandibles of the Termes type. Antennae 17–20-segmented, segment 3 of variable size. Pronotum saddle-shaped, much narrower than the head. Legs, cerci and styli as in the soldier.

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. 28—29（archive.org 项 biostor-184513 页面图像）; Krishna, K.; Grimaldi, D. A.; Krishna, V.; Engel, M. S. 2013. Treatise on the Isoptera of the world. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 377: 1–2704., 2201-2400.txt 第 10539–10740 行（Termes 属级条目与种记述）; 黄复生, 朱世模, 平正明, 何秀松, 李桂祥, 高道蓉. 2000. 中国动物志 昆虫纲 第十七卷 等翅目. 北京: 科学出版社., 001-100.txt 第 344–349 行（非生殖型·工蚁/兵蚁品级） This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.