Ancistrotermes pakistanicus (Ahmad, 1955)

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 : 3

Ancistrotermes pakistanicus (Ahmad, 1955)

Synonymy: Microtermes pakistanicus Ahmad, 1955a : and next available name for Termes pallidus Haviland, 1898 , which is preoccupied by Termes pallidus Rambur, 1842 , and T. pallidus Walker, 1853 .

Material examined: The specimens of A. pakistanicus were collected from the dry evergreen forest at Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi province and the deciduous dipterocarp forest at Nam Phong National Park in Khon Kaen province. Thirty soldier termites were used for describing.

Soldier: thorax, legs, and abdomen have light yellow in color ( Fig. 1A ). which serve as an important food source for local communities across Asia and Africa Head; yellow or brownish yellow, rectangularly oval to almost round with very sparsely hairy, length of head to side base of mandibles approximately 0.74 mm to 1.17 mm, width of head at side base of mandibles with 0.57 mm to 1.06 mm. Antennae; 15–16 segments, the second segment 1.5-fold longer than the third, antennae pale, in some specimens brownish yellow or light yellow. Mandibles; sickle-shaped with curved at tips and light to dark reddish brown in color, length of left mandible 0.51 mm to 0.67 mm, left mandible with a minute denticle above or in the middle region and right mandible with a similar denticle placed a little more posteriorly. Labrum; yellow to brownish yellow with long hairs on the anterior half, labrum convex-like (dome-shaped), lateral margins weakly convex; anterior margin broadly rounded, anterior margin of the post-clypeus convex. Anteclypeus; whitish, membranous, narrow, trapezoid, much wider than long. Pronotum; notched anteriorly in the middle, slightly emarginated posteriorly, a tinyhairs along the anterior margin and scattered hairs on the lateral margins and dorsal area, posterior margin not demarcated, pronotum length 0.35 mm to 0.53 mm, pronotum width in 0.52 mm to 0.89 mm. Postmentum; strongly curved, a few scattered hairs along the anterior half, indistinctly longer than broad, the fourth segment as long as or slightly shorter than the third.

Distribution: Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, 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.