Microcerotermes remotus 天涯锯白蚁
- Type locality
- China: Hainan Island: Ya
- Distribution
- Hainan (Yaxian, Dongfang, Ledong, Lingshui)
List: English (genus page) · 中文 · Español
Summary
Microcerotermes remotus is a species of the genus Microcerotermes, in the family TERMITIDAE (subfamily Microcerotermitinae). The species was described by Ping & Xu in 1984; the type locality is China: Hainan Island: Ya. Distribution: Hainan (Yaxian, Dongfang, Ledong, Lingshui).
Etymology
Genus name Microcerotermes: From Greek mikros (small) + keras (horn) + Latin termes.
Specific epithet remotus: Latin remotus (remote)
Taxonomic position
- Family: TERMITIDAE — 280 genera, 2144 species
- Subfamily: Microcerotermitinae — 2 genera, 150 species
- Genus: Microcerotermes — 148 species
- Type species of the genus: Microcerotermes strunckii
Distribution
- Distribution records: Hainan (Yaxian, Dongfang, Ledong, Lingshui)
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
Head capsule brown, thorax and abdomen pale yellow tinged with brown. A few scattered long hairs borne on the head capsule. Head capsule rectangular, the sides parallel, slightly narrower at the middle, the posterior margin broadly rounded; frontal peaks slightly raised, the frontal surface almost smooth. In lateral view the dorsal margin of the head slightly concave behind the frons, the top of the frons level with the posterior margin of the head. Antennae with 13 segments, segment 3 shortest and shorter than segment 2. Labrum flatly square, the anterior margin mostly inclined downwards. Both mandibles sickle-shaped, the tips slender and slightly curved; the serrations of the inner margin of unequal size, the outer margin at the base re-entering at almost a right angle; the middle of the postmentum not markedly convex, the waist region near the posterior margin; pronotum saddle-shaped, the anterior margin shallowly concave, the posterior margin straight. Small soldier paler than the large form, head capsule rectangular but shorter, the frontal angles visible, the dorsal margin of the head rather flat; antennae with 13 segments, segment 3 shortest and about half of segment 2; mandibles rather slender and straight, with a coarse tooth on the inner margin near the basal third, tapering forwards; the convexity of the middle of the postmentum also inconspicuous.
Alate
Body uniformly dark brown, head capsule darker, postclypeus yellow to yellowish brown, with a pale yellow stripe between the ocelli; pronotum with a pale T marking; legs yellow. Body length with wings 7.49 to 9.44 mm, body length 5.55 to 5.89 mm. Head capsule elliptical, slightly longer than wide, length 0.84 to 0.87 mm, width 0.74 to 0.80 mm; fontanelle a small dot, the coronal suture faintly visible. Antennae with 14 segments, segment 3 shortest. The distance between the compound eyes and the ventral margin of the head about one quarter of their long diameter. Ocelli oval, about 0.10 mm long, their distance to the compound eyes less than half their long diameter. Postclypeus slightly arched, median length 0.22 to 0.23 mm, width 0.37 to 0.40 mm. Pronotum trapezoidal, length 0.38 to 0.46 mm, width 0.62 to 0.74 mm, the anterior margin slightly tilted up and shallowly concave in the middle, the posterior margin distinctly concave. Hind tibia 0.94 to 1.02 mm long.
Worker
Nymph
Abstract (from the source)
Soldiers have a brown capsule with scattered long hairs, a rectangular outline slightly narrowed at midlength and a broadly rounded rear. Frontal peaks are faintly raised and the frons nearly smooth; antennae have 13 segments, the third shortest. Minor soldiers are paler, shorter-headed, with slender mandibles bearing a coarse tooth at the basal third. Alates are dark brown with yellowish clypeus, pale T-markings on the pronotum, 14-segmented antennae, and a trapezoidal pronotum whose hind margin is distinctly notched.
Biology
Distribution and locality
Yaxian, Dongfang, Ledong and Lingshui, Hainan.
Taxonomic notes
Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 255 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.
- Queen replacement in the termite Microcerotermes papuanus
Abstract
In experimentally orphaned field nests of Microcerotermes papuanus Holmgren, 1911, large numbers of workers develop into replacement reproductives (ergatoids) in only one moult. The females become functional egg‐layers after approximately two months. Nymphs normally reach the last instars in August‐September; at that time, in the orphaned nests, some nymphs moult to nymphoid replacement reproductives. Over long time periods, these nymphoids completely replace the ergatoids and the females become physogastric. Although time‐efficient, queen replacement seems energetically expensive for the society, suggesting that this process is under weak selective pressure in M. papuanus, compared with sympatric species such as Nasutitermes princeps. Résumé Le remplacement de la reine chez le termite Microcerotermes papuanus Dans les nids de M. papuanus rendus expérimentalement orphelins, un grand nombre d'ouvriers se transforment, en une seule mue, en sexués de remplacement ergatoïdes. Les femelles se mettent à pondre au bout d'environ deux mois. Les nymphes atteignent normalement leurs derniers stades en août‐septembre. A ce moment, dans les nids orphelins, ccrtaines d'entre elles se différencient en sexués nymphoïdes. Dans les expériences de longue durée, ces nymphoïdes remplacent complètement les ergatoïdes et les femelles dcviennent physogastres. Bien que rapide, le remplacement de la reine paraît coûteux pour la société du fait du grand nombre d'individus, ouvriers el nymphes, impliqués. Ceci suggère que la pression de sélection sur ce phénomène est faible chez M. papuanus, par comparaison avec des espèces sympatriques telles que N. princeps.
- 2. Microcerotermes sp. Typical nest structure
Abstract
Microcerotermes sp. Typical nest structure. Infopage illustrating a nest structure as observed after lifting a stone. The image also illustrates the queen and a few workers.
- Nest-mate recognition based on heritable odors in the termite Microcerotermes arboreus.
Abstract
Workers of the Neotropical termite Microcerotermes arboreus distinguish nest mates from other conspecifics by odor. A controlled breeding experiment demonstrated a genetic component to variation in colony odors. Workers were less aggressive toward unfamiliar relatives than toward nonrelatives and distinguished degree of relatedness among unfamiliar workers. Unfamiliar relatives were attacked more often than nest mates, despite similar levels of genetic relatedness; thus, nest-mate recognition is not based solely upon heritable characteristics of individual workers. No difference was detected between the effects of cues inherited through the mother and cues inherited through the father.
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 Microcerotermes (147 species)
- Microcerotermes acerbus
- Microcerotermes algoasinensis
- Microcerotermes amboinensis
- Microcerotermes annandalei
- Microcerotermes apricitatis
- Microcerotermes arboreus
- Microcerotermes baluchistanicus
- Microcerotermes barbertoni
- Microcerotermes beesoni
- Microcerotermes bequaertianus
- Microcerotermes biroi
- Microcerotermes biswanathae
- Microcerotermes boreus
- Microcerotermes bouilloni
- Microcerotermes bouvieri
- Microcerotermes brachygnathus
- Microcerotermes brevior
- Microcerotermes buettikeri
- Microcerotermes bugnioni
- Microcerotermes cachani
- Microcerotermes cameroni
- Microcerotermes cavus
- Microcerotermes celebensis
- Microcerotermes chaudhryi
- Microcerotermes chhotanii
- Microcerotermes choanensis
- Microcerotermes collinsi
- Microcerotermes crassus
- Microcerotermes cupreiceps
- Microcerotermes cylindriceps
- Microcerotermes dammermani
- Microcerotermes danieli
- Microcerotermes dashlibronensis
- Microcerotermes debilicornis
- Microcerotermes depokensis
- Microcerotermes distans
- Microcerotermes distinctus
- Microcerotermes diversus
- Microcerotermes dolichocephalicus
- Microcerotermes dolichognathus
147 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: Microcerotermes remotus 天涯锯白蚁[EB/OL]. Version 2026.10.30. https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/microcerotermes-remotus/. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836.
BibTeX
@misc{isoptera_microcerotermes_remotus_2026,
author = {班奈特格林},
title = {Microcerotermes remotus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites)},
year = {2026},
version = {2026.10.30},
howpublished = {https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/microcerotermes-remotus/},
note = {TERMITIDAE; version 2026.10.30; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.23646836}
}
RIS
TY - ELEC TI - Microcerotermes remotus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites) AU - 班奈特格林 PY - 2026 UR - https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/microcerotermes-remotus/ DO - 10.5281/zenodo.23646836 ER -