Heterotermes Froggatt, 1897

Bourguignon, Thomas & Roisin, Yves, 2011, Revision of the termite family Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera) in New Guinea, ZooKeys 148, pp. 55-103 : 65

Genus Heterotermes Froggatt, 1897

Heterotermes Froggatt 1897: 518.

Type species.

Heterotermes platycephalus Froggatt, 1897, by monotypy.

Diagnosis.

Imago head roughly oval, narrower anteriorly than posteriorly. Fontanelle small, located in the middle of the head. Eyes small and flat. Ocelli situated in front of the head, before eyes. Antennae generally with 15 to 19 articles. Pronotum elongated, narrower than head. Soldier head long and narrow, rectangular-shaped. Fontanelle small, circular, situated forward. Labrum short to medium-sized, about half as long as mandibles. Mandibles sabre-shaped, slightly curved at tips. Left mandible with a tooth and some serrations at the base. Right mandible without basal tooth and serrations. Antennae with 13 to 18 articles.

Distribution.

Most species of Heterotermes are tropical ( Emerson 1971). This genus was known from the Neotropics, northern Africa, Asia (from the Arabic peninsula to Indonesia), and Australia, occurring from humid forests to desert edges. Here, we extend its known distribution to southern New Guinea.