Macrotermes planicapitatus Gao & Lau, 1996 平头大白蚁

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

Major soldier: head brown, thorax and abdomen mottled dark brown and slightly darker than the head, mandibles almost black, the basal segment and segment 2 of the antennae slightly paler, legs deep yellow; hairs sparse on the head and thoracic dorsum, each abdominal tergite with a row of hairs along its posterior margin. Head slightly narrowed from the antennal sockets to the mandibular base, the sides parallel behind the antennal sockets, the posterior margin rather flat; in lateral view the dorsum flat; mandibles stout with the apex incurved, the inner margin of the left mandible with several small teeth behind the midpoint and with extremely indistinct tooth traces in front of the midpoint; labrum narrow and elongate, slightly broader near the middle of each side, the transparent area distinct and projecting as a point in its anterior half; fontanelle dot-like, situated in front of the mid-dorsal point; antennae with 17 segments, segment 3 narrow and elongate and longer than segment 4. Anterior plate of the pronotum slightly shorter than the posterior plate, the median notch of the anterior margin shallow and that of the posterior margin slightly deeper; the sides of the prothorax and metathorax obtusely angular, those of the mesothorax roundly angular; hind tibia slightly shorter than the head width. Minor soldier: sides nearly parallel and only slightly broader at the middle; mandibles slender, elongate and rather straight; labrum narrow and elongate with the transparent apex projecting as a point; antennae with 17 segments, segment 2 larger than segment 3; postmentum rectangular without a waist region.

Alate

Worker

Major worker: coloration dark, thorax, abdomen and legs distinctly paler than the head and pale yellow, pilosity sparse, with short hairs scattered only on the dorsum; head widest at the sides near the antennal sockets, narrowing backwards in a circular arc, the posterior margin narrowly rounded; fontanelle slightly behind the mid-dorsal point; labrum broadly ligulate; postclypeus slightly arched and band-like, the longitudinal suture distinct; antennae with 17 segments, segment 3 smaller than or slightly larger than segment 2 and smaller than or equal to segment 4; pronotum distinctly divided into anterior and posterior lobes, the anterior lobe slightly longer than the posterior lobe and standing at right angles to it, the projecting part of the anterior margin rather broad and slightly concave in the middle, the middle of the posterior margin projecting in a broad arc with a rather deep median notch; head length from the vertex to the tip of the labrum 2.04 to 2.20 mm. Minor worker: head dark brown, antennae deep brown, distinctly smaller than the major worker and very similar to it except for the nearly circular head; head length from the vertex to the tip of the labrum 1.44 to 1.49 mm.

Nymph

Abstract (from the source)

Biology

Distribution and locality

Hong Kong.

Taxonomic notes

Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 313 in the original work) Entries are cited by their number in the original work.