Extant Isoptera (Termites) — Latin–Chinese Name Comparison List 现存等翅下目(白蚁)拉丁学名—中文正名对照名录

Latin names · Chinese names · bilingual checklist — 13 families · 18 subfamilies · 326 genera · 3021 species · 68 subspecies

Odontotermes parallelus Li, 1986 平行土白蚁

Species

Type locality
China: Guangdong Province: Huiyang County
Distribution
Guangdong (Dabu), Hainan (Wuzhi Mountain), China

List: English (genus page) · 中文 · Español

Summary

Odontotermes parallelus is a species of the genus Odontotermes, in the family TERMITIDAE (subfamily Macrotermitinae). The species was described by Li in 1986; the type locality is China: Guangdong Province: Huiyang County. Distribution: Guangdong (Dabu), Hainan (Wuzhi Mountain), China.

Etymology

Genus name Odontotermes: From Greek odous (tooth) + Latin termes.

Specific epithet parallelus: From the descriptive term ‘parallel’ (parallel)

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: Guangdong (Dabu), Hainan (Wuzhi Mountain), 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 yellow, the antennal ridges reddish yellow, the pronotum pale yellow, the mandibles reddish brown, the abdomen and legs yellowish white. The head has very few setae; the labrum has eight to ten long bristles on each side; setae on the periphery of the pronotum very few and still fewer in the middle region; the abdominal tergites with rather numerous scattered bristles. Head rectangular, the lateral margins of the middle section almost parallel, slightly contracted in front of the antennal sockets and near the posterior end, the posterior margin slightly straight. Labrum elongate-lingulate, longer than wide, the middle section gradually contracting forwards. Mandibles rather straight, the apices slightly curved. The tooth of the left mandible lies more than one-third from the anterior end. Antennae with 15–16 segments; with 15 segments segment 3 is the shortest, with 16 segments segment 4 is the shortest. Postmentum rectangular, the waist narrower anteriorly, the lateral margins parallel from the waist backwards. On each side of the anterior margin of the pronotum there is a very deep muscle-scar depression, exactly at the position where the anterior half rises vertically, and there is a distinct notch at the exact middle of both the anterior and the posterior margin.

Alate

Worker

Distinctly dimorphic, with a large and a small form. Apart from being larger, darker in colour and having one more antennal segment, the large form agrees with the small form in all other characters.

Nymph

Abstract (from the source)

A medium-sized species whose soldier has a yellow head, reddish brown mandibles and a pale yellow pronotum. The head is rectangular with nearly parallel sides, the labrum is elongate-lingulate, and each side of it carries eight to ten long setae. The left mandible bears its tooth beyond the anterior third. Antennae have 15 or 16 segments, the third or the fourth being shortest. Workers occur in two sizes, the larger darker and with one more antennal segment.

Biology

Distribution and locality

Dabu, Guangdong, and Wuzhishan, Hainan.

Taxonomic notes

Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 271 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.

Other databases

The links below are produced by matching the scientific name against public APIs, for cross-checking. The checklist data itself is unchanged.

✔ Consistent with the accepted names in GBIF and Catalogue of Life.

Sources:GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · Catalogue of Life (3LR, 2026-10-14 · doi:10.48580/dgzh4) · Wikidata (P225) · Blattodea Species File. Retrieved on 2026-11-13 (UTC). Matching method and decision rules are described on the data page.

Found a naming or distribution problem? Report an error →

Records follow the original literature; please attach an evidence link.

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.

  1. BIONOMICS OF ODONTOTERMES HAINANENSIS (LIGHT)

    Hi G · 1988 · Acta Entomologica Sinica

    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.

  2. Termites of the Genus Odontotermes are Optionally Keratophagous

    Bernd P. Freymann, Sara N. de Visser, Emilian P. Mayemba, Han Olff · 2007 · University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology)

    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.

  3. Xylaria species associated with nests of Odontotermes formosanus in Taiwan

    Yu‐Ming Ju, Huei‐Mei Hsieh · 2007 · Mycologia

    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)

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 parallelus 平行土白蚁[EB/OL]. Version 2026.10.30. https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-parallelus/. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836.

BibTeX

@misc{isoptera_odontotermes_parallelus_2026,
  author       = {班奈特格林},
  title        = {Odontotermes parallelus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites)},
  year         = {2026},
  version      = {2026.10.30},
  howpublished = {https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-parallelus/},
  note         = {TERMITIDAE; version 2026.10.30; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.23646836}
}

RIS

TY  - ELEC
TI  - Odontotermes parallelus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites)
AU  - 班奈特格林
PY  - 2026
UR  - https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-parallelus/
DO  - 10.5281/zenodo.23646836
ER  -