Firmitermes abyssinicus Sjöstedt, 1911 阿比西尼亚坚白蚁

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 soldier is closely related to Hoplognathotermes, with no genus-level difference in head shape, but the pilosity of the head surface, postmentum and fore coxa is far richer, the postmentum is transversely wrinkled along its whole length, the labrum is broad and rounded, without lateral angles or points, and the mandibular base is short and stout; the alate is described only from the provisionally assigned 'Eutermes' tripolitanus, whose left marginal tooth 3 is proportionally far larger than in any known genus of the primitive termite subfamily or of the Amitermitinae.

Alate

The following genus characters presuppose the provisional assignment of 'Eutermes' tripolitanus to this genus. The apical teeth of both mandibles are smaller and more slender than in workers of Hoplognathotermes and Acutidentitermes, and lie closer to marginal tooth 1; the angle between the apical tooth and marginal tooth 1 of the left mandible is sharper; the actual lengths of marginal teeth 1 and 2 of the left mandible are similar to those of Acutidentitermes, but the notch before marginal tooth 3 is less sharp and the apical margin of marginal tooth 3 is longer (distinctly convex and short in Acutidentitermes); marginal tooth 3 is proportionally far larger than in any known genus of the primitive termite subfamily or of the Amitermitinae; beneath the concave ridge between marginal tooth 3 and the molar plate of the left mandible there are 2 small processes, with a concave margin between them (Acutidentitermes has only 1 process below the basal molar plate); marginal tooth 1 of the right mandible shows a vestige of an accessory tooth near its angle of contact with the apical tooth; the anterior and posterior margins of marginal tooth 2 are both concave, whereas in Acutidentitermes it is convex-blunt with nearly straight margins; the concavity on the upper margin of the basal plate of the right mandible is weaker than in Acutidentitermes. Each fore tibia with 3 spurs, each mid and hind tibia with 2.

Soldier

Head surface, vertex, sides and postmentum scattered with numerous short hairs and setae, whereas Hoplognathotermes subterraneus and Acutidentitermes osborni have very few setae on the head surface and an almost hairless postmentum. The profile of the flattened-convex distal part of the fore coxa shows 3–4 setae, the profile of the acute-convex basal part bears a few setae and short hairs, the longitudinal ridge is bluntly rounded, and a few extremely short hairs are visible when the coxa is rotated. Head shape shows no genus-level difference from Hoplognathotermes, the anterior part flatter, without conspicuous ridges or tubercles; fontanelle small and indistinct. Postmentum constricted in the middle, the sides rather concave (slightly deeper than in Hoplognathotermes), with a series of indistinct transverse wrinkles along its whole length; in H. subterraneus only the posterior part is transversely wrinkled, and in A. osborni the postmentum is globular and unwrinkled. Labrum proportionally as broad as in H. subterraneus but with more rounded margins, lacking the lateral angles and points of the latter or of A. osborni. Postclypeus distinct, the suture between it and the frons not obliterated. Mandibular base proportionally short and stout, the outer margin rather strongly convex, without the angular notch at the junction of tip and base seen in Hoplognathotermes or Acutidentitermes; the apical process shorter and stouter than in either, the outer margin more curved; in the type specimen the tooth bases are broken, so the tooth form cannot be determined, but the small notch between the apical margin and the tooth of the right mandible indicates an angle close to that of H. subterraneus and unlike the sharper angle of A. osborni; the basal tooth-like process indistinct or absent. Pronotum smaller and narrower than in H. subterraneus, the anterior lobe equally large, the median anterior concavity equally small and shallow; the angle between the anterior lobe and the posterior part in lateral view less sharp than in H. subterraneus, nearly flatly concave. Fore coxa without a process, the longitudinal ridge rather bluntly rounded, not as sharp and long as in H. subterraneus; the ridge profile is flatly convex from the trochanteral region to the middle and becomes flatly concave towards the basal outer corner. Fore tibia with 3 apical spurs, the outer spur extremely short, visible only on careful manipulation; mid and hind tibiae each with 2 spurs.

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.