Reticulitermes assamensis Gardner, 1945 突额散白蚁

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

The head is pale yellow, the mandibles reddish brown, the pilosity of the head capsule rather dense. The head capsule is rectangular, the head width index 0.61–0.63, the sides almost parallel or slightly divergent posteriorly, the posterior margin broadly rounded. The frontal ridge is raised, the interfrontal area shallowly concave. The labrum is lingulate with a bluntly rounded apex, apical, subapical and lateral-apical hairs all present. The mandibles are rather stout and short, their apices slightly curved, the mandibular condyle visible, their length 0.56–0.58 of the head capsule length and 0.91–0.95 of the head width. Antennae with 15–16 segments. The broad region of the postmentum lies at the anterior one-fifth, the anterolateral margins trapezoidal and slightly concave at the middle, the waist region rather broad with the sides in a slight broad arc, the waist constriction index 0.35–0.38. The pronotum is trapezoidal, 1.53–1.59 times as wide as long, both the anterior and the posterior margin nearly straight and shallowly concave in the middle, with about forty hairs in the middle region.

Alate

The head capsule is dark brown, the pronotum yellow, the labrum, postclypeus and femoral segments brown tinged with black, the tibiae greyish yellow, the wings dull brown. The head capsule is circular and somewhat squarish, the fontanelle dot-like. The compound eyes are roundly triangular and weakly projecting, their long diameter slightly greater than or equal to the distance from the compound eye to the lower margin of the head. The ocelli are nearly circular, their distance from the compound eye about equal to their own diameter. Antennae with 18 segments. The dorsal margin of the head arches gently, the postclypeal projection weak, lower than the vertex and higher than the ocelli. The anterior margin of the pronotum is almost straight and slightly undulate, the median notch of the posterior margin distinct. The forewing and hindwing are 2.10–2.29 mm wide, the cubitus of the forewing with ten to more than ten branches.

Worker

Nymph

Abstract (from the source)

Biology

The host is recorded as Pinus yunnanensis.

Distribution and locality

Medog, Xizang; abroad it is found in Assam, India.

Taxonomic notes

The genus name is defective in the original work, printed as Reticuliter mes; it is in fact the genus Reticulitermes, the same genus name as currently used on this site.

Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 159 in the original work) Entries are cited by their number in the original work.