Bulbitermes flavicans (Holmgren)

Syaukani, & Thompson, Graham J., 2011, Taxonomic Notes on Nasutitermes and Bulbitermes (Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae) from the Sunda region of Southeast Asia based on morphological and molecular characters, ZooKeys 148, pp. 135-160 : 136-137

Bulbitermes flavicans (Holmgren)

Euternes (Euternes) flavicans Holmgren 1913, pp. 173-174.

Euternes (Euternes) flavicans : John 1925, p. 394.

Bulbitermes flavicans : Snyder 1949, p. 308.

Bulbitermes flavicans : 1958, p. 132 (key).

Bulbitermes flavicans : Thapa 1981, pp. 335-337.

Bulbitermes flavicans : Tho 1992, p.159.

Material examined.

Syntype: soldier, West Sumatra, Harau, Pajacombo, 17.iii.1913, Oscar John Coll. B.M. 1926-242 BMNH103898. Other material: SYK1999&2001-L-0146, 1453-56, 1463, 1465, 1467. Soldiers and workers from undisturbed forests, 1,000-1,400 m altitude, Kemiri Mountain, Southeast Aceh; SYK1999&2001-L-1457-60, 1462. Soldiers and workers from undisturbed forests, 150-350 m altitude, Bukit Lawang, Langkat, North Sumatra; SYK2000-L-1466. Soldiers and workers from undisturbed forest, 500 m altitude, Ketambe, Southeast Aceh; SYK2006-AL-0001, 0777, 1613. Soldiers and workers from disturbed. SYK2010-KTB-011, 027, 051, 098. Soldiers and workers from undisturbed forest, 300-500 m altitude, Ketambe Research Station, Ecosystem Leuser, Sumatra.

Description.

Imago: Unknown.

Soldiers.Head: in dorsal view the anterior part darker than posterior part in coloration; rostrum dark brown with the apex paler; antenna much paler than anterior part of head capsule, uniformly coloured. Head with five or six scattered bristles, tip of nasus with four bristles, pronotum and abdominal tergites with microscopic hairs.Head capsule somewhat round, weakly constricted behind antennal sockets; posterior margin roundly convex; dorsal outline (including rostrum) in profile nearly straight with two shallow indentations near base of rostrum, and up-curved apically. Mandible with weak apical processes. Antenna with 12 articles; second clearly shorter than third and fourth; third clearly longer than fourth; fourth and fifth almost equal in length. Thorax: pronotum seen from above paler than anterior part of head capsule; its periphery paler than central area. Coxae pale brown; femora yellowish; tibiae whitish yellow. Anterior margin of pronotum nearly straight; posterior margin roundly convex. Abdomen: tergites pale brown.

Soldiers (n = 10; (size range) in mm): head length including nasus (HLN) (1.22-1.40); head length measured to base of mandible (HL) (0.97-1.00); nasus length (NL) (0.30-0.42); nasus index = NL/HL (0.30-0.42); maximum head width at posterior part (HWP) (0.75-0.84); maximum height of head excluding postmentum (HH) (0.57-0.65); pronotum length (PL) (0.15-0.17); pronotum width (PW) (0.37-0.45).

Workers. Antenna: whitish yellow to yellow; 13 articles; second shorter than third; third clearly longer than fourth; fourth wider than fifth. Left mandible: apical tooth and first marginal tooth almost equal in length; third marginal moderately protruding from cutting edge; fourth almost completely hidden behind molar prominence. Right mandible: posterior edge of second marginal tooth nearly straight; inner layer of molar plate undeveloped and notch at proximal end of molar plate obsolete.

Geographical distribution.

Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.