Hirsutitermes kanzakii Scheffrahn, Carrijo & Castro, 2023 神崎毛糙白蚁

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 posterior margin of the enteric valve armature bears several hundred fine spines; the enteric valve seating (EVS) is tubular, trilobed and long; the mesenteric tongue is long but not inflated. Closest to Longustitermes: the spines of this genus are longer and finer than in the latter, and the anterior portion of the cushions is pyriform (the original reads 'the anterior portion of the cushions is more rounded in the latter than pyriform in the former'); Longustitermes is smaller, and its EVS is trilobed rather than tubular.

Alate

Head capsule forming a very gentle curve in profile. Fontanelle distinct, heart-shaped, situated near the imaginary line of the posterior margin of the compound eye and behind the oval patch (= median clypeal muscle). Above the antennal sockets there are two distinct oval patches. Antennal segments 12, pattern 2>3<4≈5. Pronotum with a distinct median suture and a raised anterior margin.

Worker

Monotypic, medium-sized (body and head from medium to large). Head capsule pale yellow, densely covered with long hairs and sparse, slightly larger setae, the dorsal surface flat in profile. Antennal segments translucent white; 14 segments, pattern 2>3=4<5. Fontanelle round, distinct but with indistinct margins; postclypeus moderately inflated. Pronotum with very long setae, especially on the middle of the anterior and posterior lobes; tergites and sternites with short hairs on the surface and long setae on the posterior margins. Fore coxa and fore femur with medium-sized spines; fore tibia moderately inflated, densely covered with spines and setae of various sizes. Apical tooth of the left mandible more projecting than M1+2; the two margins of M3 forming an obtuse angle, the tip slightly rounded and directed forwards; molar process distinct, not concealed by the molar prominence; molar prominence well developed. Right mandible: apical tooth much more projecting than M1, M1 small and less projecting than M2, the margin of M2 curved; molar plate concave with a few ridges. Gut: mesenteric tongue long and not inflated; EVS relatively long and tubular, usually with three small but distinct lobes; the junction of P3-a and the seating visible in dorsal view; armature with several hundred fine, elongated sclerotised spines, distributed from the fourth distal part of the enteric valve onwards. Measurements: species-level (Table 2).

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.