Reticulitermes dabieshanensis Wang & Li, 1984 大别山散白蚁

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

Head yellowish brown, mandibles reddish brown, the pilosity of the head capsule sparse. The head capsule is rectangular, the head width index 0.55–0.61, the sides parallel, the posterior margin slightly projecting forwards. The frontal ridge is slightly raised, slightly concave between the two ridges. The labrum is sharply spear-shaped, the semi-transparent apical region conical, stout and pointed, the apical, subapical and lateral-apical hairs all rather distinct. The mandibles are strong, their apices very curved; the mandibular length 0.54–0.58 times the head capsule length and 0.94–0.98 times the head width. Antennae with 16–17 segments. The broad region of the postmentum lies at the anterior one-fifth, the anterolateral margins nearly parallel and then expanding again, the waist region narrow and long with the sides parallel, the waist constriction index 0.30–0.35. The pronotum is trapezoidal, about 1.61–1.68 times as wide as long, the anterior and posterior margins both rather straight, the notch at the middle of the anterior margin slightly deeper than that of the posterior, with about six hairs in the middle region.

Alate

The head capsule, pronotum, postmentum and femoral segments are all nearly blackish brown; the tibiae greyish yellow; the labrum, postclypeus and antennae pale brown; the wing membrane brown. The head capsule is nearly circular, the fontanelle dot-like, 0.51 from the anterior frontal margin. The compound eyes are nearly circular, the projection rate 6–9 per cent, their short diameter greater than the distance from the compound eye to the lower margin of the head; the ocelli are long-oval, the short diameter greater than the ocellus-compound eye distance. The vertex is mound-like, the postclypeus almost not projecting, lower than the vertex and about level with the ocelli. Antennae with 17 segments. The pronotum is nearly trapezoidal, 1.56–1.63 times as wide as long, the anterior margin straight, the middle of the posterior margin fork-shaped notched and rather deep. The forewing 7.34–7.50 mm long and 2.07–2.14 mm wide; the hindwing 7.04–7.12 mm long and 2.05–2.12 mm wide, the cubitus of the forewing with about fourteen branches.

Worker

Nymph

Abstract (from the source)

Biology

It damages the timber structures of buildings.

Distribution and locality

Shangcheng, Henan.

Taxonomic notes

Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 113 in the original work) Entries are cited by their number in the original work.