Glyptotermes shaanxiensis Huang & Zhang, 1986 陕西树白蚁

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 head brownish yellow, brown at the steep frontal slope, clypeus yellow, labrum yellow and semi-transparent, mandibles reddish brown with the terminal two-thirds nearly black, the anterior part of the postmentum brownish yellow and the posterior part pale, pronotum brownish yellow and often with a pale median longitudinal line, mesothorax, metathorax and abdomen pale yellow, femora and tibiae pale yellow, the tibial apical spurs brownish yellow, tarsi deep yellow. The whole body with sparse short hairs. Head capsule nearly rectangular and cylindrical, the sides roughly parallel, the front often slightly wider, the posterolateral angles arcuate, the posterior margin straight; the frontal slope about 45 degrees, the frontal peak slightly raised and slightly depressed at the middle, the Y-shaped suture indistinct, clypeus trapezoidal, labrum short and broad with arcuate sides and a nearly straight anterior margin. Mandibles stout, their tips slightly curved, broad and flat at the base; the inner margin of the left mandible with four marginal teeth, the third largest with its tip directed inwards, the first and second of similar size with their tips directed forwards, the fourth short and small; the right mandible with three marginal teeth, the first at the proximal third, the second large and broad at the base, the third low and small at the base. Antennae mostly with 10–11 segments, occasionally 12, the third shortest, the second slightly longer than the third and shorter than the remaining segments. Eye spots circular, behind the antennal sockets. Postmentum slender and flat, broad in front and narrow behind, the waist region narrow and long with parallel sides, expanding outwards at the base. The pronotum usually slightly narrower than the head capsule, its anterior margin a shallow arc with a median depression, the anterolateral angles projecting forwards, the lateral margins arcuate, the posterior margin nearly straight and slightly concave at the middle; the lateral angles of the mesonotum and metanotum extending backwards.

Alate

Alate head brownish, labrum dull yellow, clypeus pale yellow, compound eyes nearly black, ocelli yellow, antennae and legs brownish yellow, pronotum the same colour as the head, mesothorax, metathorax and abdomen brown, the sternites of the posterior abdominal segments rather darker. Head nearly circular, the sides almost parallel, slightly longer than wide; compound eyes large and projecting, nearly circular, ocelli small and slightly raised, situated above the compound eyes and separated from them by a space. Labrum broad and short, its anterior margin straight, the anterolateral angles rounded. Antennae with the third segment shortest, the fourth equal to or slightly longer than the third. Pronotum slightly wider than the head capsule (including the compound eyes), the anterior margin concave, the lateral margins arcuate, the posterolateral angles broadly rounded, the posterior margin rather straight; the forewing scale large, covering the metathorax, the hindwing scale only half as long.

Worker

Nymph

Abstract (from the source)

Biology

Host recorded as black locust.

Distribution and locality

Baihe, Shaanxi (600 m).

Taxonomic notes

Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 40 in the original work) Entries are cited by their number in the original work.