Schievitermes globicornis Roisin, 2022 球角不对称白蚁

Morphology

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

Diagnostic characters

The soldier differs from Termes, Inquilinitermes, Cavitermes, Palmitermes, Dihoplotermes and Cornicapritermes among the Neotropical snappers in lacking a frontal projection; Planicapritermes has a flattened head capsule and strongly asymmetrical mandibles; it differs from Crepititermes in the thicker mandibles with a slight but distinct asymmetry and the globular third antennal segment; the species of Neocapritermes are larger (head width >1 mm), have 15–16 antennal segments (13 in this genus), and their mandibles are always more strongly asymmetrical. The worker mandibles are of the wood-feeding type, with a short distance between the apical tooth and the first marginal tooth and well-developed molar ridges; the digestive tract resembles that of Planicapritermes, but the bilobed distal end of the mesenteric part of the mixed segment is characteristic of this genus; Neocapritermes also has two mesenteric lobes, but the mixed segment is shorter and the lobes are larger and more widely separated. The cuticular differentiation of P3 is intermediate between that of Neocapritermes (long spines and filaments) and Planicapritermes (minute spines).

Alate

The genus is known only from a single queen; the original did not give a separate genus-level description but referred to the species-level description. Nothing is added here.

Soldier

The head capsule is subquadrate with rounded corners, about 2 times as long as wide, and bears about 100 setae. The mandibles are about as long as the head capsule, relatively thick and of the snapping type; the right mandible is nearly straight, only slightly incurved; the left mandible is slightly but distinctly curved: the outer margin is slightly concave at the base, convex in the middle, concave again where it meets the right mandible, and incurved at the apex. The apices of both mandibles are hooked and turned inwards by about 60°. There are 13 antennal segments, the last extending beyond the apex of the left mandible; the third segment is distinctly globular, as wide as the first and wider than the remaining segments. The sides of the labrum are nearly parallel, the anterior margin is wavy and convex in the middle, with a few long setae, and the anterior corners are rounded. The frons has no projection.

Worker

Monotypic. The head capsule is white and bears numerous setae. The mandibles are of the wood-feeding type: on the left mandible the distance A–M1+2 is about half the distance M1+2–M3; M3 is distinct, the premolar tooth (sensu Deligne 1999) is blade-like, and the molar ridges are well developed. On the right mandible the distance A–M1 is short, M2 is distinct, and the molar ridges are well developed. The crop is moderately developed; the gizzard is of the broad type, its cuticular armature being restricted to small comb-like scales on the pulvilli. The mixed segment is long, and the distal end of the mesenteric tongue is bilobed. P1 is slightly dilated and then narrows gradually into P2. The enteric valve (P2) is funnel-shaped, conical at the end of P1 and forming a narrow tube where it joins P3; the armature consists of two rings of spines: the proximal ring lies on the conical part of P2 and consists of 3 oval cushions alternating with slender cushions, all bearing small triangular spines; the distal ring lies on the narrow tubular part and consists of 6 cushions of alternating length bearing fine, curved spines. P3 is large, its wall bearing many small spines; the spines are longer on the rounded posterior part near the entrance of P2, and short and often comb-like on the anterior part where it narrows towards P4.

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.