Mangolditermes curveileum Scheffrahn, Carrijo & Castro, 2023 曲回曼戈尔德白蚁

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 enteric valve is unarmed (as in Hydrecotermes and Rustitermes), but the extremely long, S-shaped P1 in left view distinguishes it from those two. Compared with Aparatermes: the midgut tongue is elongate (short in the latter), the pointed scales lie on the proximal part of the pads (mid-pad in the latter), and the fore tibia is relatively inflated. Compared with Anoplotermes, which likewise has an unarmed enteric valve: there is no white globular midgut nodule in ventral view of the midgut tongue, and the pads are trapezoidal and truncate at the base (spatulate in the latter). Compared with Disjunctitermes: the body is larger (maximum head width >0.75 mm, <0.7 mm in the latter), the pads are broader (narrow and slender in the latter), and the scales are clear only from the middle to the anterior part (over the whole pad in the latter). Compared with Tonsuritermes: the worker fontanelle is not especially prominent.

Worker

Fontanelle oval, with indistinct boundaries; dorsal surface of the head capsule slightly concave in profile; antennae pale, with 14 segments (2<3≅4<5). Apical tooth of the left inner mandible more projecting than M1+2, forming an angle of 75° with M1+2, the posterior margin of M1+2 nearly straight and long; molar lobe process very acute, conspicuous in dorsal view, nearly as long as M3; molar prominence small. Apical tooth of the right inner mandible much more projecting than M1, the tip of M1 very acute, M2 forming an angle of almost 90° and directed backwards, with a shallow incision between M1 and M2 forming a broad, slightly obtuse angle; molar plate reduced and concave. Gut: crop small; the midgut tongue of the mixed segment long but not inflated; P1 extremely long in left view, curving in an S from one side of the crop to P3; enteric valve seat weakly trilobed; enteric valve unarmed, composed of 6 slender, inflated pads, the distal half of each bearing clear fringed pentagonal scales, the proximal end of each pad with about 10–20 minute triangular spines.

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.