Glyptotermes satsumensis Matsumura, 1907 赤树白蚁

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 anterior part of the head deep orange-red mixed with brown, gradually paler backwards, becoming yellow at the end; antennae, thorax, abdomen and legs all yellow. The whole body with short sparse hairs. Head capsule rather like a long tube, its length varying considerably between individuals; in profile the frontal surface inclined at about 45 degrees, the junction of the top of the slope with the vertex forming two juxtaposed mountain-like elevations, the horizontal length of this slope about one-seventh of the head capsule. The two sides of the head nearly parallel, the posterior margin slightly arched backwards. The boundary between the postclypeus and the head capsule indistinct, the anteclypeus a short trapezoid; the anterior margin of the labrum arcuate, extending about to the midpoint of the mandibles. Mandibles stout, the inner margin of the left mandible with three distinct marginal teeth and a fourth broad, low and indistinct, the first three close together and the fourth farther off, in some individuals the fourth entirely absent; the inner margin of the right mandible with two prominent triangular marginal teeth. Antennae with 12–15 segments, the length of the second to fourth variable. Eye spots behind the antennae. Pronotum as wide as the head capsule or slightly narrower, the anterior margin slightly concave backwards with a shallow transverse groove behind it, the lateral margins continuous with the posterior margin in an arc, the anterior and posterior margins with slight median notches; mesothorax and metathorax with short wing pads, absent in small individuals. Femora stout and short, abdomen rather long with spine-like projections.

Alate

Alate head capsule reddish brown, pronotum brownish yellow, abdomen yellow, very sparsely haired. Head broadly oval, compound eyes medium and slightly projecting, ocelli small and close against the compound eyes; postclypeus very short with indistinct limits, anteclypeus rather large and white; the segments of the labial palps short. Antennae with 15 segments, the second rather long, about the length of the third and fourth together, the third shorter than the fourth. Pronotum narrower than the head capsule, the anterior margin deeply concave, the posterior margin arched backwards. Wings transparent, the proximal veins brown, the wing membrane densely covered with distinct small warts; the radius sector and media parallel to each other and unbranched, with several weak connecting veins between them; the cubitus very indistinct, with about fifteen branches.

Worker

Nymph

Abstract (from the source)

Biology

Host recorded as rubber tree and Cordia dichotoma.

Distribution and locality

Taiwan; Nada, Hainan; Pingbian, Nanxi and Mengla, Jinping, Yunnan (470 m); Guangxi; Hunan; Beibeng, Medog, Tibet (910 m); also recorded from Japan.

Taxonomic notes

Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 39 in the original work) Entries are cited by their number in the original work.