Odontotermes zunyiensis 遵义土白蚁
- Type locality
- China: Guizhou Province: Zhuengyi
- Distribution
- China (Guizhou)
List: English (genus page) · 中文 · Español
Summary
Odontotermes zunyiensis is a species of the genus Odontotermes, in the family TERMITIDAE (subfamily Macrotermitinae). The species was described by Li & Ping in 1982; the type locality is China: Guizhou Province: Zhuengyi. Distribution: China (Guizhou).
Etymology
Genus name Odontotermes: From Greek odous (tooth) + Latin termes.
Specific epithet zunyiensis: Named after the locality Zuny
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 (Guizhou)
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 orange-yellow, the mandibles dark brown with deep yellow bases; setae on the head sparse, about ten stout long erect bristles around the margin of the labrum, the pilosity of the thoracic and abdominal tergites sparse. Head oval, narrow anteriorly and broad posteriorly, longer than wide, widest in the posterior part. Labrum lingulate, its apex bluntly rounded, reaching one-third of the base of the open mandibles. Mandibles sickle-shaped and rather robust, the apices incurved; the left marginal tooth at about one-third from the anterior end, the right mandible with a dot-like small tooth slightly below the corresponding position. Antennae with 17 segments, segment 3 short and small. Postmentum rectangular, slightly narrower anteriorly and broader posteriorly, less than twice as long as wide. The anterior half of the pronotum is narrow and nearly vertically upturned, the posterior half broader, and both the anterior and the posterior margin have a distinct median notch.
Alate
Head reddish brown, the postclypeus pale yellowish brown, the anteclypeus white, the antennae brown, the pronotum slightly darker than the head and with a T-shaped mark, each anterolateral corner with an ocellus-like ring-shaped spot. Head semicircular, the fontanelle small and round, the compound eyes not very round and slightly projecting outwards, the ocelli broadly oval, the ocellus-compound eye distance about equal to the short diameter of the ocellus; the postclypeus about half as long as wide with longitudinal striae in the middle, the anteclypeus trapezoidal, the labrum arcuate, the antennae with 19 segments. As to the body pilosity, short hairs are densely distributed over the head and postclypeus, interspersed with sparse long hairs; several hairs arise in the middle of the labrum; the pronotum is densely covered with fine pubescence.
Worker
Nymph
Abstract (from the source)
The soldier head is orange yellow, the mandibles blackish brown with deep yellow bases. The head is oval, narrow in front and broad behind, widest posteriorly. The labrum is tongue shaped with a blunt tip, reaching the basal third of the opened mandibles. The mandibles are stout and sickle shaped; the left tooth lies at the anterior third, the right one slightly below it and dot like. Antennae have seventeen segments. The postmentum is rectangular, less than twice as long as wide.
Biology
Distribution and locality
Zunyi, Guizhou (880 m a.s.l.).
Taxonomic notes
Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 283 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 zunyiensis 遵义土白蚁[EB/OL]. Version 2026.10.30. https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-zunyiensis/. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836.
BibTeX
@misc{isoptera_odontotermes_zunyiensis_2026,
author = {班奈特格林},
title = {Odontotermes zunyiensis: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites)},
year = {2026},
version = {2026.10.30},
howpublished = {https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-zunyiensis/},
note = {TERMITIDAE; version 2026.10.30; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.23646836}
}
RIS
TY - ELEC TI - Odontotermes zunyiensis: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites) AU - 班奈特格林 PY - 2026 UR - https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/odontotermes-zunyiensis/ DO - 10.5281/zenodo.23646836 ER -