Glyptotermes hejiangensis Gao, 1984 合江树白蚁

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

Head reddish yellow, the anterior region of the frons slightly deeper, clypeus pale brown, labrum brown, mandibles nearly black and slightly paler at the base, postmentum brownish yellow with the lateral margins of the anterior part darker and the tip pale, antennae pale brownish yellow and slightly deeper in the basal segments, pronotum brownish yellow, mesonotum pale brownish yellow, femora pale yellow. The head with sparse long and short hairs, the clypeus with several short hairs, the anterior margin of the labrum with eight to ten rather long hairs, the base of the mandibles with short fine hairs, the margins of the pronotum with short sparse hairs and the surface with several long hairs. Head rectangular, the lateral margins nearly parallel, widest at the eye spots behind the antennae, the eye spots pale brown, the anterolateral angles forming a small rounded reddish brown projection, the posterolateral angles broadly arcuate, the posterior margin broadly arcuate. The frontal surface sloping, slightly depressed in the middle, the frontal ridges separate and slightly raised. Labrum broadly oval, extending to two-thirds of the mandibles. Mandibles stout, swollen at the base; left mandible with four marginal teeth, the first directed forwards, the second close to the first and directed inwards, the third farther from the first two and triangular, the fourth short, small and indistinct; in the right mandible the first marginal tooth is slightly before the midpoint, rather sharp and slightly forward, the second larger, its anterior cutting edge more convex than the posterior. Postmentum narrow and long, expanded in its anterior half. Antennae with 12–13 segments, the second longer than the third and fourth, the third shortest. Pronotum kidney-shaped, slightly narrower than the head, the sides curved towards the venter, the anterior margin shallowly arcuate with a slight median concavity, the lateral margins convex-arcuate, the posterior margin broadly arcuate without a median notch; the mesonotum slightly narrower than the pronotum, the metanotum slightly wider than the mesonotum and slightly narrower than the pronotum, both the meso- and metathorax with small wing pads on each side, the forewing pads slightly larger.

Alate

Head brown, antennae and labrum yellowish brown, compound eyes darker than the head, ocelli and antennal spots paler than the head, pronotum pale brown and slightly paler than the head, abdominal tergites paler still than the pronotum. Body hairs sparse throughout. The outline of the head is broadly oval, the lateral margins behind the compound eyes continuous with the posterior margin in a semicircle, the middle of the vertex slightly depressed, the Y-shaped cephalic suture discernible, the median coronal suture especially clear. Compound eyes medium, nearly circular, moderately projecting; ocelli small, nearly elongate-oval, close to the compound eyes but not touching them; the nearly circular antennal spots distinct. The surface of the labrum arched, its anterior margin rather flat, half as long as wide; clypeus broad and flat. Each mandible with two marginal teeth. Postmentum nearly rectangular. The antennae of the specimen are incomplete, the second slightly longer than the third, the fourth slightly smaller than the third. Pronotum slightly narrower than the width of the head including the compound eyes; the median suture of the pronotum clear, the anterior margin shallowly arcuately concave, the middle broadly straight, the middle of the posterior margin also flat, neither the anterior nor the posterior margin with a distinct median notch. Hind tibia rather slender.

Worker

Nymph

Abstract (from the source)

Biology

The host plants include Chinese guger tree and weeping willow.

Distribution and locality

Hejiang, Sichuan.

Taxonomic notes

Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 26 in the original work) Entries are cited by their number in the original work.