Odontotermes conignathus 锥颚土白蚁
- Type locality
- China: Yunnan Province: Jinghong
- Distribution
- China (Yunnan)
List: English (genus page) · 中文 · Español
Summary
Odontotermes conignathus is a species of the genus Odontotermes, in the family TERMITIDAE (subfamily Macrotermitinae). The species was described by Xia & Fan in 1982; the type locality is China: Yunnan Province: Jinghong. Distribution: China (Yunnan).
Etymology
Genus name Odontotermes: From Greek odous (tooth) + Latin termes.
Specific epithet conignathus: Greek kōnos (cone) + gnathos (jaw), cone-jawed
Taxonomic position
- Family: TERMITIDAE — 280 genera, 2144 species
- Subfamily: Macrotermitinae — 12 genera, 373 species
- Genus: Odontotermes — 198 species
- Type species of the genus: Odontotermes vulgaris
Distribution
- Distribution records: China (Yunnan)
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
Body medium-sized. Head brownish yellow, the portion anterior to the antennae slightly darker, the labrum and postmentum brown, the mandibles dark brown, the thorax, abdomen and appendages yellow. Setae on the head sparse, almost without fine short setae; one pair of long setae on the frons, the setae behind the antennae shorter and one to two on each side. Head a broad oval, nearly elongate-rectangular, the lateral margins slightly arcuate, widest at two-fifths of the posterior part and narrowing gradually towards the front, the posterior margin arcuate. Labrum broadly lingulate, just covering the left marginal tooth, convex in the middle and flat at the sides to form a rim. Fontanelle indistinct. The two mandibles very straight, the inner and outer margins anterior to the marginal tooth almost linear, the outer margin contracting conically forwards from the level of the tooth, the apex slightly incurved, the base notched; the notch of the left mandible deep and containing a minute pointed tooth, the tooth situated slightly behind the midpoint with its apex lateral; the right mandibular tooth very small. Postmentum about twice as long as wide. Antennae with 16–17 segments; with 16 segments, segment 3 almost equal to segment 2 and one and a half times segment 4. Pronotum rhomboidal, with notches at the middle of both the anterior and the posterior margin.
Alate
Worker
Nymph
Abstract (from the source)
A medium-sized species. The head is brownish yellow, darker before the antennae, with a deep brown mandible that is paler near the base. The head is a broad oval, widest at the posterior two-fifths, with arcuate sides and squarish hind corners. The labrum is a broad tongue just covering the left mandibular tooth, bulging in the middle. The mandibles are notably straight, tapering cone-like in front of the teeth, the left with a deep notch containing a minute tooth. Antennae have 16 or 17 segments, the fourth shortest.
Biology
Distribution and locality
Jinghong, Damenglong, Mengla and Simao, Yunnan.
Taxonomic notes
Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 260 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.
- BIONOMICS OF ODONTOTERMES HAINANENSIS (LIGHT)
Abstract
Odontotermes hainanensis (Light) is an important insect pest damaging the dikes of reservoirs in South China. The present paper deals with the morphologies of the castes, behaviour during cultivation of the primary colonies in the laboratory and the activities of dispersal flight, foraging and nest building in the field.
- Termites of the Genus Odontotermes are Optionally Keratophagous
Abstract
In this study we tested experimentally whether the consumption of mammalian hooves by termites of the genus Odontotermes is a mere incidental, previously overlooked event, or whether higher termites frequently exploit hooves of ungulates as a supplementary food source. The experiment was conducted in the open woodland savanna region of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. In total, 88 hooves of wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) and zebra (Equus burchelli) – of two age classes – were offered to the termites in the field. After five days, 18.3% of old and 15.0% of fresh wildebeest hooves and 16.7% of old zebra hooves were utilized by termites as a food source. Accordingly, we report here for the first time a systematic, frequent necrophorous foraging behavior of termites in general, which also adds termites to the very short list of potential decomposers of mammalian hooves. Termites of the genus Odontotermes seem not to show a preference for a specific age class of the provided wildebeest hooves. Our results suggest that ungulate hooves represent a spatially and temporarily highly variable, potentially macro- and micronutrient-rich, supplementary food source for higher termites in this savanna ecosystem. Termites of the genus Odontotermes might accordingly be considered as being not only decomposers, but also optional necrophores, i.e. being keratophagous. Members of this genus might play an important role in the decomposition of mammalian hooves in African savannas.
- Xylaria species associated with nests of Odontotermes formosanus in Taiwan
Abstract
Nine species of Xylaria were collected in Taiwan from nests of Odontotermes formosanus, the only known macrotermitine termite in Taiwan. These include six newly described species, X. acuminatilongissima, X. atrodivaricata, X. brunneovinosa, X. griseosepiacea, X. intraflava and X. ochraceostroma, and three previously known species, X. cirrata, X. escharoidea and X. nigripes. We obtained cultures and ITS sequences from the nine species found in Taiwan and describe anamorphs for eight of them. Before the current study teleomorphanamorph connections in the Xylaria species associated with termite nests have been established unequivocally in X. escharoidea only. Xylaria angulosa, X. fimbriata, X. kedahae, X. micrura, X. radicans, X. reinkingii and X. tolosa also are considered and annotated because they were reported to grow on ground and likely are associated with termite nests. Epitypifications are made for X. cirrata, X. escharoidea and X. nigripes. Xylaria sanchezii is considered a nomen dubium. Photographs are presented for most of the aforementioned species. A dichotomous key to 25 Xylaria species growing on termite nests or ground also is given.
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 Odontotermes (197 species)
- Odontotermes acutidens
- Odontotermes adampurensis
- Odontotermes agilis
- Odontotermes akengeensis
- Odontotermes amanicus
- Odontotermes amaniensis
- Odontotermes anamallensis
- Odontotermes anceps
- Odontotermes angustatus
- Odontotermes angustignathus
- Odontotermes angustipennis
- Odontotermes annulicornis
- Odontotermes apollo
- Odontotermes aquaticus
- Odontotermes assmuthi
- Odontotermes aurora
- Odontotermes badius
- Odontotermes bellahunisensis
- Odontotermes bequaerti
- Odontotermes bhagwatii
- Odontotermes billitoni
- Odontotermes boetonensis
- Odontotermes bogoriensis
- Odontotermes bomaensis
- Odontotermes boranicus
- Odontotermes bottegoanus
- Odontotermes boveni
- Odontotermes brunneus
- Odontotermes buchholzi
- Odontotermes butteli
- Odontotermes caffrariae
- Odontotermes capensis
- Odontotermes celebensis
- Odontotermes ceylonicus
- Odontotermes chicapanensis
- Odontotermes classicus
- Odontotermes culturarum
- Odontotermes denticulatus
- Odontotermes diana
- Odontotermes dimorphus
197 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: Odontotermes conignathus 锥颚土白蚁[EB/OL]. Version 2026.10.30. https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-conignathus/. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836.
BibTeX
@misc{isoptera_odontotermes_conignathus_2026,
author = {班奈特格林},
title = {Odontotermes conignathus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites)},
year = {2026},
version = {2026.10.30},
howpublished = {https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-conignathus/},
note = {TERMITIDAE; version 2026.10.30; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.23646836}
}
RIS
TY - ELEC TI - Odontotermes conignathus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites) AU - 班奈特格林 PY - 2026 UR - https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-conignathus/ DO - 10.5281/zenodo.23646836 ER -