Genus Tucupitermes · 黄汁白蚁属

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

Cutting edge of the left mandible twice as long as the distance from the apical tooth to M1+2; stomodeal valve twice as long as the crop; Malpighian ampullae well developed, visible in both right ventral and dorsal views; mesenteric tongue long and slightly bulbous, reaching the midline of the abdomen; the connection between P1 and P3 is not visible in any view, only a small bilobed seating being visible. The largest species currently known in the subfamily (the title itself calls it the largest Apicotermitinae).

Worker

Head capsule dark yellow, with dark longitudinal muscle marks converging towards the vertex; fontanelle white, convex, drop-shaped. Head capsule with few setae of unequal size, none in the posterior region; postclypeus small, slightly swollen, with setae as large as those of the head capsule; labrum convex, longer than the postclypeus and clypeus together, setae rather stout. Antennae 13-segmented, I<II, III shorter than the remaining segments. Mandibles stout: apical tooth of the left mandible shorter than M1+2; the distance from the apical tooth to M1+2 relatively short, the cutting edge twice as long as this distance; the notch between M1+2 and M3 distinct and far from M1+2; M3 pointed, at a short distance from the molar prominence; molar prominence conical, with grooved sculpture and basal scales. Right mandible: apical tooth slightly smaller than M1, first marginal tooth distinctly larger than the others; posterior margin of M1 wider than the molar prominence; angle between M1 and M2 130°; M2 conical; molar plate concave, without a groove, with grooved sculpture and basal scales. Thorax pale yellow; pronotum wider than half the head width, margins with numerous setae; lateral and posterior margins of mesonotum and metanotum with setae. Tibiae paler than femora, anterior surface with numerous irregular spines; anterior face of the forecoxa with a row of distinct spine-like setae. Abdomen semi-transparent, tergites and sternites covered with many setae of unequal size. Digestive tract: crop small, immediately behind the thorax; gizzard reduced, without armature, with 6 first-order pulvilli; stomodeal valve very long; mesenteron with 4 well-developed, slender Malpighian ampullae; P1 long; P2 asymmetrical, trilobed; P3 bulbous, connected to P4 by an arched isthmus. Measurements: species-level (Table 1, 20 workers).

Sources: Almeida-Azevedo R.; Acioli A. N. S.; Heleodoro R.; Morais J. W.; Brown G. G.; Kille P.; Cunha L.; Azevedo R. A. 2025. Tucupitermes, the largest Apicotermitinae (Isoptera, Termitidae) from the Amazon Rainforest. Zootaxa 5633(1): 186–194. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5633.1.11, Tucupitermes gen. nov. — Description: Imago / Genus Diagnosis / Genus Description (Worker) / Digestive tube（Zootaxa 5633: 187–191） This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.