Odontotermes fontanellus 小囟土白蚁
- Type locality
- China: Jiangsu Province: Tschingkiang
- Distribution
- Jiangsu (Zhenjiang), Anhui, Yunnan, China
List: English (genus page) · 中文 · Español
Summary
Odontotermes fontanellus is a species of the genus Odontotermes, in the family TERMITIDAE (subfamily Macrotermitinae). The species was described by Kemner in 1925; the type locality is China: Jiangsu Province: Tschingkiang. Distribution: Jiangsu (Zhenjiang), Anhui, Yunnan, China.
Etymology
Genus name Odontotermes: From Greek odous (tooth) + Latin termes.
Specific epithet fontanellus: Latin fontana (spring) + -ellus (small), little spring
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: Jiangsu (Zhenjiang), Anhui, Yunnan, China
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 upper half of the mandibles dark brown and the base paler, the labrum pale brown, the antennae slightly paler than the head, the thorax, abdomen and legs yellow. Pilosity of the head sparse, with a few long setae; the anterior margin of the postmentum bears several symmetrical long or short setae; the pronotum has sparse short setae, and the setae of the abdominal tergites are long and dense. Head broadly oval, the lateral margins almost parallel, slightly broader posteriorly, the posterior margin broadly arcuate. Mandibles robust, the apex of the left mandible incurved, its tooth at one-third from the apex, the tooth apex directed antero-internally; the right mandible with a small tooth slightly behind one-third from the apex and another distinct small tooth about one-quarter from the base. Labrum lingulate, slightly narrower anteriorly, the apex bluntly rounded. Antennae with 17 segments, segment 3 the smallest, segment 4 slightly larger than segment 3, segment 5 slightly smaller than segment 4, the terminal segment elongate-oval. Postmentum nearly rectangular, about one and a half times as long as wide, widest near the posterior end. Pronotum saddle-shaped, with distinct notches at the middle of both the anterior and the posterior margin.
Alate
Worker
Nymph
Abstract (from the source)
Soldiers are medium-sized. The head is brownish yellow with a deep brown upper mandible that pales toward the base, a pale brown labrum and a yellow body. The head is broadly oval with nearly parallel sides, slightly wider behind. The mandibles are stout: the left bears a tooth at the anterior third with its tip directed forward and inward and a small tooth in the basal notch, the right two small teeth. Antennae have 17 segments, the third smallest. The pronotum is saddle-shaped with distinct notches at both margins.
Biology
Distribution and locality
Zhenjiang, Jiangsu; Anhui; Yunnan.
Taxonomic notes
Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 262 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 conignathus
- Odontotermes culturarum
- Odontotermes denticulatus
- Odontotermes diana
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 fontanellus 小囟土白蚁[EB/OL]. Version 2026.10.30. https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-fontanellus/. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836.
BibTeX
@misc{isoptera_odontotermes_fontanellus_2026,
author = {班奈特格林},
title = {Odontotermes fontanellus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites)},
year = {2026},
version = {2026.10.30},
howpublished = {https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-fontanellus/},
note = {TERMITIDAE; version 2026.10.30; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.23646836}
}
RIS
TY - ELEC TI - Odontotermes fontanellus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites) AU - 班奈特格林 PY - 2026 UR - https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-fontanellus/ DO - 10.5281/zenodo.23646836 ER -