Odontotermes gravelyi 粗颚土白蚁
- Type locality
- Myanmar: east side of Dawna Hills, Sukli
- Distribution
- Yunnan, China, Myanmar, Vietnam
List: English (genus page) · 中文 · Español
Summary
Odontotermes gravelyi is a species of the genus Odontotermes, in the family TERMITIDAE (subfamily Macrotermitinae). The species was described by Silvestri in 1914; the type locality is Myanmar: east side of Dawna Hills, Sukli. Distribution: Yunnan, China, Myanmar, Vietnam.
Etymology
Genus name Odontotermes: From Greek odous (tooth) + Latin termes.
Specific epithet gravelyi: Named after F. H. Gravely
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: Yunnan, China, Myanmar, Vietnam
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 deep yellow, the base of the mandibles brownish and the anterior part black, the thorax pale yellow, the abdomen nearly white; setae on the head extremely sparse, the thorax and abdomen with hairs of unequal length. Head large and flat, oval in dorsal view, narrow anteriorly and broad posteriorly, the lateral and posterior margins slightly arched; the postmentum does not bulge strongly from the ventral surface of the head and is narrow only at the anterior end, its remaining part almost equal in width. Mandibles robust; the left mandible has a sharp tooth behind the midpoint, its apex directed obliquely forwards; the right mandible has a granular tooth-like projection at the corresponding position. The lateral margins of the labrum are arcuate and the anterior end is contracted, reaching the middle of the mandibles. Antennae with 17 segments, segments 2 and 4 about equal in length, segment 3 slightly shorter. Both the anterior and the posterior margin of the pronotum have a median notch.
Alate
Dorsum of the vertex and the dorsum of the thorax and abdomen yellowish brown, the ventral surface of the head and the legs yellow, the venter of the abdomen yellowish brown, the wings pale brown. Ocelli oval, their distance from the compound eye slightly less than the length of the ocellus and greater than its width; the vertex flat, the fontanelle a small conical projection. Antennae with 19 segments, segments 3 to 7 about equal in length and all shorter than segment 2, the terminal segment longer than segment 2. The anterior and the posterior margin of the pronotum each with a slight median notch; the middle of the pronotum bears a pale cross-shaped mark with a small pale spot on each side in front of it.
Worker
Head deep yellow, thorax and abdomen pale yellow. Head squarish and flattened, antennae with 19 segments, segment 2 longer than segment 3; the anterior and the posterior margin of the pronotum slightly concave at the middle. Length of head to the apex of the labrum 2.22–2.72 mm, width of head 1.75–1.94 mm.
Nymph
Abstract (from the source)
The soldier's head is deep yellow, large and flattened, oval from above with a narrow front and broad rear; the postmentum is not strongly arched below. The stout left mandible bears a sharp tooth behind the midpoint, the right a granular tooth-like swelling. Antennae have 17 segments, the second and fourth subequal. Alates are yellowish brown above with pale brown wings, 19-segmented antennae, a conical fontanelle and a pale cross-shaped pronotal mark. Workers are flat-headed with 19 antennal segments.
Biology
The nest is generally built in the soil beneath the turf and is subterranean, occasionally found in earthen walls beside a stove; the nest may stand partly above ground and consists of many scattered fungus-garden chambers and fungus gardens; the species can bore into the trunks of trees and into the ground-level parts of wooden posts.
Distribution and locality
Mojiang (1,400 m a.s.l.), Pu'er (1,350 m a.s.l.), Yunjinghong (500 m a.s.l.), Mengla in Jinping (350 m a.s.l.) and Lianshan, Yunnan; abroad it is found in Myanmar.
Taxonomic notes
Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 267 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 gravelyi 粗颚土白蚁[EB/OL]. Version 2026.10.30. https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-gravelyi/. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836.
BibTeX
@misc{isoptera_odontotermes_gravelyi_2026,
author = {班奈特格林},
title = {Odontotermes gravelyi: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites)},
year = {2026},
version = {2026.10.30},
howpublished = {https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-gravelyi/},
note = {TERMITIDAE; version 2026.10.30; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.23646836}
}
RIS
TY - ELEC TI - Odontotermes gravelyi: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites) AU - 班奈特格林 PY - 2026 UR - https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-gravelyi/ DO - 10.5281/zenodo.23646836 ER -