Glyptotermes emei Gao, Zhu, Gong & Han, 1981 峨嵋树白蚁

Recorded in Fauna Sinica

The morphological and biological accounts below are taken from Fauna Sinica and related literature; only structure and punctuation have been standardized here.

Morphology

Soldier

The soldier has the top of the frons deepening forwards to reddish brown, the tops of the tubercles blackish brown, the back of the head slightly paler; labrum brownish yellow, mandibles nearly black and slightly paler at the base, postmentum reddish brown and slightly transparent at the tip, antennae yellowish brown, pronotum brownish yellow, mesothorax, metathorax, legs and abdomen pale yellow. Head longer than wide, narrow in front and broad behind, the posterior margin broadly arcuate or nearly straight, the two posterolateral angles broadly rounded, the Y-shaped suture faintly visible. The frontal tubercles lie above the antennal sockets. Mandibles short, the body of the mandible broad and straight with the tip strongly curved inwards, the base with a basal tubercle. Left mandible with four marginal teeth: the two triangular blunt teeth before the midpoint are almost equal in size, the first directed slightly forwards and the second inwards; the third and fourth are close together and far from the first two, the third large and the fourth small. Right mandible with two marginal teeth, the first triangular and directed inwards, the second almost right-angled. Antennae with 10–12 segments, the third shortest. Pronotum slightly narrower than the head, the anterior margin concave-arcuate with a distinct median notch, the lateral margins almost straight and contracting backwards, the posterior margin a broad arc with a distinct median notch, the surface just behind the anterior margin with two crescent-shaped depressions, the median longitudinal line distinct.

Alate

Alate head deep reddish brown, the frontal region slightly paler, labrum reddish brown, clypeus deep brownish yellow, antennae brownish yellow, compound eyes nearly black; pronotum deep brownish yellow, paler than the head, with a pale median longitudinal line; the anterior parts of the mesonotum and metanotum with blackish brown longitudinal lines, wing scales reddish brown, coxae, trochanters and femora of the legs brownish yellow, abdominal tergites brownish yellow and sternites slightly paler, the head very sparsely haired. Head nearly square, slightly broader behind the compound eyes, the posterolateral angles broadly rounded, slightly longer than wide or as long as wide; the middle of the forehead slightly concave, with several longitudinal and transverse striae, forming weak frontal ridges on the two sides. Compound eyes oval, medium to rather large and slightly projecting, adjacent to the nearly circular ocelli but not touching them, the short diameter of the compound eye greater than the distance from its lower margin to the lower margin of the head. Labrum broad, its anterior margin straight; the anterior margin of the clypeus blunt and projecting forwards. Pronotum slightly wider than the head, the anterior margin concave-arcuate, the posterior margin straight with a slight median concavity, neither margin with a median notch. The forewing scale larger than the hindwing scale, the hind tibia with three apical spurs.

Worker

Nymph

Abstract (from the source)

Biology

Host: Sichuan cinnamon; the specimen was collected from a dead trunk.

Distribution and locality

Emeishan and Leibo, Sichuan.

Taxonomic notes

Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 20 in the original work) Entries are cited by their number in the original work.