Ekueitermes alerosinus Duran-Bautista & Celis-Daza, 2026 阿莱罗辛肠棘白蚁

Morphology

The description below is paraphrased from the original or a later revision, by caste; the source is cited at the end.

Diagnostic characters

The mesenteric tongue of the mixed segment is short and not inflated; P1 is very short; the enteric valve armature (EVA) consists of 6 conical cushions each covered with 18–25 fringed polygonal scales (4–15 per cushion), with 7–17 sclerotised spines at the distal end of each cushion arranged in a palmate fashion; the enteric valve seating (EVS) is distinctly differentiated and tubular.

Worker

Monotypic, medium-sized (head length and width from medium to large). Head capsule pale white to pale yellow, densely covered with long, fine, pale, erect setae evenly spaced, with short hairs between them; dorsal surface slightly concave in profile; antennal segments translucent. Antennal segments 14, pattern 2>3<4<5. Fontanelle distinct, oval, situated behind the brain (visible in preserved specimens); postclypeus strongly inflated. Pronotum saddle-shaped, the anterior and posterior margins with rows of long, fine, erect setae, the lateral margins with a few long setae; the margins of the anterior lobes of the meso- and metanotum also with setal rows. Abdomen translucent, the tergites and sternites densely covered with setae of varying length. Fore coxa and fore femur with numerous pale fine setae; fore tibia strongly inflated, with a few long setae interspersed among a great many minute, dense setae; tibial spines weak on all legs, indistinct except at the apex; spur formula 2:2:2. Apical tooth of the left mandible more projecting than M1+2, forming an acute angle with it, the posterior margin of M1+2 weakly concave; M3 less projecting than M1+2, its margin forming an acute angle; molar prominence well developed, not concealing the molar process in dorsal view. Right mandible: apical tooth more projecting than M1, M1 small and slightly exceeding M2, a right angle between M1 and M2, the posterior margin of M2 concave, without ridges. Gut: crop large; mixed segment short and not inflated; midgut short and slender, gradually widening into a very short, tubular P1 that does not form a ventral loop; EVS well differentiated, tubular; P3 large and inflated, P4 very long and slender, P5 saccular. Measurements: species-level (Table 1, 17 workers from 3 colonies).

This genus is monotypic, containing only this species; the following is the genus-level description based on the original literature; species-level measurements and intraspecific variation are given in the original.