Bulbitermes singaporiensis (Haviland)

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 : 141-142

Bulbitermes singaporiensis (Haviland)

Termes singaporiensis Haviland, 1898, pp. 429.

Eutermes (Eutermes) singaporiensis : Holmgren 1913, p. 179.

Bulbitermes singaporiensis : Snyder 1949, p. 309.

Bulbitermes singaporiensis : Tho 1992, pp. 158-159.

Material examined.

Syntype: soldiers, Termes singaporiensis , Singapore, 1893, Coll. & Det. G. D. Haviland, No. 16 (Ex. Dundee) (Bulbitermes) BMNH103923. Other material: SYK(1998-2001)-L-0205, 0212, 0219, 1802, 1812, 1817, 1821-23, 1825-29, 1831, 1832, 1834, 1835, 1839, 1840, 1843, 1846-48, 1851, 1853-55, 1859, 1860, 1865, 1867, 1868, 1870, 1877, 1883, 1884, 1850, 1877, 1879, 1880, 1975, 1978. Soldiers and workers from undisturbed forest, 150-350 m altitude, Bukit Lawang, Langkat, North Sumatra.; SYK2006-AL-0004, 0801, 0802, 1886. Soldiers and workers from disturbed forest, 30 m altitude, Maestong, Sungai Batang Hari, Jambi; SYK2006-L1852. Soldiers and workers from undisturbed forest, 50 m altitude, Sekundur, Langkat, North Sumatra; SYK1999-L-1882. Soldiers and workers from undisturbed forest, 400 m altitude, Bengkung, Southeast Aceh. SYK&FAZLY2009-ER-020, 022, 024, 039, 043, 044, 047, 051, 057, 058, 062, 063, 087. Soldiers and workers from undisturbed forest,>100 m altitude, Endau Rompin National Park, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia.

Description.

Imago: Unknown.

Soldiers. Head: in dorsal view anterior part of head capsule darker than the posterior part in coloration; rostrum slightly darker than anterior part of head capsule; antenna paler than anterior part of head capsule. Head with two bristles, tip of nasus with four bristles, pronotum with microscopic hairs, abdominal tergites with hairs and bristles.In dorsal view head capsule somewhat pear-shaped and weakly constricted behind antennal sockets; its posterior margin nearly straight in the middle; dorsal outline (including rostrum) in profile nearly straight; mandible with moderately developed apical processes. Antenna with 12 articles; second and third almost equal in length, the former wider than the latter in width; third the shortest; fourth and fifth almost equal in length. Thorax: pronotum seen from above paler than anterior part of head capsule; its anterior part slightly darker than posterior part. Coxae pale brown; femora yellowish; tibiae pale yellow. Anterior margin of pronotum moderately indented in the middle, while posterior margin nearly straight in the middle. Abdomen: tergites dark brown to very dark sepia brown.

Soldiers (n = 10; (size range) in mm): head length including nasus (HLN) (1.24-1.35); head length measured to base of mandible (HL) (0.98-1.12); nasus length (NL) (0.32-0.37); nasus index = NL/HL (0.31-0.35); maximum head width at posterior part (HWP) (0.80-0.84); maximum height of head excluding postmentum (HH) (0.57-0.61); pronotum length (PL) (0.16-0.18); pronotum width (PW) (0.37-0.44).

Workers. Antenna: whitish yellow to yellow with first article darker than the subsequent; 14 articles; second much longer than third and fourth; third longer than fourth; fourth the shortest. Left mandible: apical tooth shorter than first marginal tooth; third marginal moderately protruding from cutting edge; fourth almost completely hidden behind molar prominence. Right mandible: posterior edge of second marginal tooth weakly concave; inner layer of molar plate and notch at proximal end of molar plate obtuse.

Biogeographical distribution.

Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Java and Borneo.