Macrotermes acrocephalus 隆头大白蚁
- Type locality
- China: Yunnan Province: Ruili
- Distribution
- Yunnan, China, Ruili
List： English (genus page) · 中文 · Español
Summary
Macrotermes acrocephalus is a species of the genus Macrotermes, in the family TERMITIDAE (subfamily Macrotermitinae). The species was described by Ping in 1985; the type locality is China: Yunnan Province: Ruili. Distribution: Yunnan, China, Ruili.
Etymology
Genus name Macrotermes: From Greek makros (large) + Latin termes, ‘large termite’.
Specific epithet acrocephalus: Greek akros (apex) + kephalē (head), pointed-headed
Taxonomic position
- Family: TERMITIDAE — 280 genera, 2144 species
- Subfamily: Macrotermitinae — 12 genera, 373 species
- Genus: Macrotermes — 57 species
- Type species of the genus: Macrotermes lilljeborgi
Distribution
- Distribution records: Yunnan, China, Ruili
The record above follows the wording of the original data; no geocoding or standardized place names have been applied.
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
Major soldier: head yellowish brown tinged with red, thoracic and abdominal tergites yellowish brown. Head elongate-oval, length about 1.3 times the width, posterior margin broadly rounded; in lateral view the dorsal margin of the head mound-like and arched, the fontanelle situated behind the highest point, the postmentum prominent; labrum lanceolate, the semi-transparent area at the tip of the labrum triangular; mandibles rather stout, about half the length of the head capsule, the middle of the inner margin of the left mandible with indistinct fine teeth, with several incisions near the mandibular base; antennae with 17 segments, segment 3 slightly longer than segment 2, compound eyes dot-like; postmentum about four times as long as wide, the waist region in the anterior third, its sides almost parallel. Anterior and posterior margins of the pronotum both distinctly incised; mesonotum and metanotum narrower than the pronotum, the lateral lobes of the thoracic tergites not markedly angular. Minor soldier slightly paler, head subrectangular, the fontanelle behind the midpoint, the labrum narrower; mandibles slender and elongate, about two thirds of the head capsule length, with fine teeth behind the middle of the inner margin of the left mandible; postmentum elongated, about three times as long as wide.
Alate
Worker
Nymph
Abstract (from the source)
The major soldier has a yellowish brown head tinged with red. The head is oblong, about one and a third times as long as wide, with a broadly rounded hind margin and a mound like dorsal profile; the fontanelle lies behind the highest point. The labrum is awl shaped with a triangular hyaline tip. The mandibles are stout, about half the head length, the left bearing faint teeth and several basal notches. Antennae have seventeen segments. The postmentum is about four times as long as wide.
Biology
Distribution and locality
Ruili, Yunnan.
Taxonomic notes
Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 293 in the original work) Entries are cited by their number in the original work.
Distribution map
No GBIF record with coordinates was found for this species.
Related papers
Cached papers for this genus (matched automatically, for reference); to search this species with its junior synonyms merged in, use the literature search.
- Intraspecific colony recognition in the termites Macrotermes subhyalinus and Macrotermes bellicosus (Isoptera, Termitidae)
Abstract
- Ecdysone and ecdysterone in physogastric termite queens and eggs of Macrotermes bellicosus and Macrotermes subhyalinus
Abstract
- The mound-building termite Macrotermes michaelseni as an ecosystem engineer
Abstract
Many organisms create or alter resource flows that affect the composition and spatial arrangement of current and future organismal diversity. The phenomenon called ecosystem engineering is considered with a case study of the mound building termite Macrotermes michaelseni. It is argued that this species acts as an ecosystem engineer across a range of spatial scales, from alteration of local infiltration rates to the creation of landscape mosaics, and that its impacts accrue because of the initiation of biophysical processes that often include feedback mechanisms. These changes to resource flows are likely to persist for long periods and constrain the biological structure of the habitat. The value of ecosystem engineering is discussed as a holistic way of understanding the complexity of tropical ecology.
Papers on this species, synonyms included → OpenAlex Google Scholar CNKI
Abstracts come from open metadata; copyright remains with the original authors/publishers. For reference only — please check the original.
Other species in Macrotermes (56 species)
- Macrotermes ahmadi
- Macrotermes aleemi
- Macrotermes amplus
- Macrotermes annandalei
- Macrotermes barneyi
- Macrotermes beaufortensis
- Macrotermes bellicosus
- Macrotermes carbonarius
- Macrotermes chaiglomi
- Macrotermes chebalingensis
- Macrotermes choui
- Macrotermes constrictus
- Macrotermes convulsionarius
- Macrotermes declivatus
- Macrotermes denticulatus
- Macrotermes falciger
- Macrotermes gilvus
- Macrotermes gratus
- Macrotermes guangxiensis
- Macrotermes hainanensis
- Macrotermes herus
- Macrotermes hopini
- Macrotermes incisus
- Macrotermes ituriensis
- Macrotermes ivorensis
- Macrotermes jinghongensis
- Macrotermes khajuriai
- Macrotermes latignathus
- Macrotermes lilljeborgi
- Macrotermes longiceps
- Macrotermes longimentis
- Macrotermes luokengensis
- Macrotermes maesodensis
- Macrotermes malaccensis
- Macrotermes meidoensis
- Macrotermes menglongensis
- Macrotermes michaelseni
- Macrotermes natalensis
- Macrotermes niger
- Macrotermes nobilis
56 species in this genus. See all species on the genus page →
Cite this species
Citation strings are generated from the fields of this page; please keep the DOI and the version number when citing.
GB/T 7714
班奈特格林. Extant Isoptera (termites): a checklist of Latin and Chinese names: Macrotermes acrocephalus 隆头大白蚁[EB/OL]. Version 2026.10.30. https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/macrotermes-acrocephalus/. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836.
BibTeX
@misc{isoptera_macrotermes_acrocephalus_2026,
author = {班奈特格林},
title = {Macrotermes acrocephalus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites)},
year = {2026},
version = {2026.10.30},
howpublished = {https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/macrotermes-acrocephalus/},
note = {TERMITIDAE; version 2026.10.30; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.23646836}
}
RIS
TY - ELEC TI - Macrotermes acrocephalus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites) AU - 班奈特格林 PY - 2026 UR - https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/macrotermes-acrocephalus/ DO - 10.5281/zenodo.23646836 ER -