Microtermes obesi Holmgren, 1912

Ponpinij, Suksawat, Hasin, Sasitorn, Kaewgrajang, Tharnrat, Voraphab, Itsarapong & Nipitwattanaphon, Mingkwan, 2024, Positive association between PTN polymorphisms and schizophrenia in Northeast Chinese Han population., Zoological Studies 63 (52), pp. 141-149 : 5

Microtermes obesi Holmgren, 1912

Type data: Syntypes: Microtermes obesi Holmgren, 1912 : locality at Maharashtra, India.

Material examined: The specimens of M. obesi were collected from the dry evergreen forest at Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi province and the deciduous dipterocarp forest at Phu Toei National Park in Suphan Buri province. Forty soldier termites were used for describing.

Soldier: thorax, legs, and abdomen light yellow ( Fig. 1C ). Head; densely brownish with short hairs, head pale or light yellow, head capsule elongated oval, longer than broad, and widest slightly below the middle, length of head to side base of mandibles with 0.84 mm to 0.98 mm, width of head at side base of mandibles with 0.51 mm to 0.62 mm. Antennae; light yellowish brown with 13 segments; some specimens with 14 segments; the second segment longer than the third, fourth, and third (which were subequal). Mandibles slender, slightly curved apically, without denticles, mandible length with 0.46 mm to 0.57 mm. Labrum; light yellow, sparsely hairy, blade shaped but not pointed, longer than broad, and widest below the middle and lateral margins, basal third convex, converging anteriorly, Pronotum; saddleshaped and extending to more than half the width, the anterior margin distinctly notched in the middle, the posterior margin weakly depressed in the middle, the lateral lobes prominent and broadly rounded, pronotum length with 0.28 mm to 0.36 mm, pronotum width with 0.49 mm to 0.59 mm. Postmentum; arched with scattered short hairs, slightly longer than wide, widest in the middle.

Distribution: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Myanmar Cambodia, Thailand.

Figures

Fig. 1. Fungus-growing Termite species: (A) Ancistrotermes pakistanicus, (B) Hypotermes makhamensis, (C) Microtermes obesi, (D) Macrotermes annandalei (Major soldier), (E) Macrotermes annandalei (Minor soldier), (F) Macrotermes carbonarius (Major soldier), (G) Macrotermes carbonarius (Minor soldier), (H) Macrotermes gilvus (Minor soldier), (I) Macrotermes gilvus (Major soldier), (J) Odontotermes feae, (K) Odontotermes takensis, and (K) Odontotermes longignathus.