Sphaerotermes sphaerothorax Sjöstedt, 1911 圆胸圆球白蚁

Morphology

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

Diagnostic characters

Soldier: head rectangular with rounded corners, only slightly narrower anteriorly, reddish yellow, covered with short hairs; left mandible with a much stronger curvature than the right, with several serrations and one blunt tooth near the base; fontanelle central on the head, small and indiscernible. Alate: antennal segment 3 very small, segment 4 about equal to segment 2; neither sex with styli.

Soldier

Head rectangular with rounded corners, only slightly narrower anteriorly, reddish yellow, covered with short hairs; antennae 13-segmented (segment 3 smaller than segment 2, segment 2 equal to segment 4); labrum rounded on both sides, with transparent dots; left mandible with a much stronger curvature than the right, with several serrations and one blunt tooth near the base; inner margin of the right mandible smooth; fontanelle central on the head, small and indiscernible; anterior margin of the pronotum slightly concave, posterior margin slightly concave. Measurements (mm): head length 1.79–1.83, head width 0.96–1.00, antennae 1.03–1.10, pronotum 0.33–0.37×0.57–0.60, hind tibia 0.61–0.67, left mandible 0.61.

Worker

Antennae 13-segmented; head width 0.95 mm, hind tibia 0.67 mm.

Alate

Head pale brownish yellow, oval; fontanelle a pale circular dot, rather small; head covered with short hairs and a few long bristles; antennal segment 3 very small, segment 4 about equal to segment 2; eyes medium-sized, round, not very close to the lower margin; ocelli large, very close to the eyes; labrum pale, rather transparent; postclypeus concolorous with the head, with a median line, about half as long as wide; pronotum pale yellow, slightly paler than the head, sides rounded, anterior and posterior margins concave, covered with short hairs and long bristles; posterior margins of the meso- and metanotum broadly concave; legs pale yellow, each tibia with two apical spurs; abdominal tergites pale yellow; neither sex with styli. Measurements (mm): head length 1.27–1.28, head width 1.13–1.20, eye diameter 0.30–0.31, pronotum 0.60×0.97–1.07, hind tibia 1.20–1.23, left mandible 0.57; posterior length 26.00, abdominal width 5.00.

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.