Rounditermes dechambrei Ensaf, Ponchel & Nel, 2003 德尚布尔胖白蚁

Morphology

The description below is paraphrased from the original or a later revision, by caste; the source is cited at the end.

Diagnostic characters

Distinguished from the closely related Cortaritermes: soldier antennae constantly with 14 segments, the head capsule longer and wider, the hind tibia relatively longer, the head surface lacking microtrichia, the nasus more conical and shorter. The original twice emphasises that the head capsule is round, as long as wide, and not constricted behind the level of the antennal sockets, by which it can be distinguished from the species of Cortaritermes, which have a narrower head capsule and a more slender nasus; the genus name is taken from the roundness of the soldier head capsule.

Soldier

(1) head dark brown, round, as long as wide, not constricted behind the level of the antennae; (2) nasus conical, slightly upturned; (3) head surface with a few long hairs, mainly around the base of the nasus; (4) 4–5 long hairs and several small hairs at the nasus tip, a few hairs at the base; (5) mandibles slender, small, vestigial, but with a distinct sharp point; (6) antennae nearly concolorous with the head, constantly 14 segments; segment 1 longer than the rest, segment 2 shorter than the rest, segment 3 slightly longer than segment 5, segments 3 and 4 about equal; (7) pronotum pale brown, the anterior margin raised and with an emargination, about 7 long erect setae, a few fine hairs behind; the pronotum broadly rounded anteriorly and posteriorly, concave in the middle, depressed laterally; (8) abdominal tergites yellowish brown, with several hairs on the posterior margins; (9) sternites yellow, with many long hairs on the posterior margins; (10) legs yellow, slender, the tibiae and femora with rows of long hairs and spines; (11) means of 10 specimens: body length 5.20 mm, head length including nasus 1.99 mm, head width 1.55 mm, nasus length 0.72 mm, pronotum length 0.40 mm, antennal length 1.97 mm, hind tibia 1.77 mm, hind tibia about 0.9 times the head length.

This genus is monotypic, containing only this species; the following is the genus-level description based on the original literature; species-level measurements and intraspecific variation are given in the original.