Sinocapritermes yunnanensis Ping & Xu, 1986 滇华扭白蚁

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 capsule yellowish brown, mandibles blackish brown, labrum yellow-white, antennae pale yellowish brown with the articulations slightly paler; thorax, abdomen and legs pale yellowish white. Head capsule short and rectangular, head-width index 0.68–0.70, the sides nearly parallel, the posterior lateral corners broadly rounded, the posterior margin straight or shallowly concave forwards, the median suture about one-third of the head capsule; in profile the dorsal margin of the head slopes gently backwards from the top of the frons, the frons raised, the frontal slope about 40°, the centre of the frons slightly depressed. Frontal gland aperture behind a small shallow pit at the centre of the frontal slope, the aperture tube-like. The two mandibles nearly equal in length but asymmetrical: the apex of the left is a rounded hook, behind which it swells into a bar, the inner margin straight in profile and shallowly concave at the middle, weakly twisted from the middle forwards and backwards into a slight S; right mandible sabre-shaped, the apex slightly hook-like. Antennae 14 segments, the second to fourth nearly equal in length, the segments from the fifth onwards gradually longer. Postmentum club-shaped, the waist region behind the mid-point, 2.4–3.0 times as long as wide. Pronotum saddle-shaped, the centres of the anterior and posterior margins without distinct incisions. Tibial spur formula 2:2:2.

Alate

Head rectangular, the lateral margins nearly parallel, the dorsal margin rather flat; the frontal region forms a slope, sometimes rather steep, the fontanelle dot-like; the longitudinal suture of the head distinct, extending forwards beyond the middle. Mandibles extremely asymmetrical left and right: the tip of the left mandible blunt or turned inwards, the apex slightly flattened and not hooked, the middle of the inner cutting edge slightly concave; the right mandible rather straight, its anterior section sometimes slightly curved outwards. Labrum similar in length and width, in some specimens slightly longer or slightly shorter, the anterior margin straight, the two anterior lateral corners short and pointed; postclypeus very narrow. Antennae 13–16 segments. Pronotum saddle-shaped, narrower than the head. Apical spurs 3:2:2, tarsi 4-segmented.

Worker

Nymph

Abstract (from the source)

Biology

The nest is usually underground and consists of several chambers and passages; the species feeds on plant rootlets and decaying parts, and can also bore into the surface layers of living trees and into sugarcane.

Distribution and locality

Jinghong, Pingbian and Jinping, Yunnan.

Taxonomic notes

Source: Huang Fusheng et al. (2000), Fauna Sinica, Insecta vol. 17, Isoptera, Science Press. (entry no. 370 in the original work) Entries are cited by their number in the original work.