Odontotermes hainanensis ( Light, 1924 )

Sengupta, Rituparna, Baraik, Balmohan & Rajmohana, K., 2022, First record of three species of Termitidae (Blattodea: Isoptera) from India along with first description of worker caste of Ahmaditermes pyricephalus Akhtar, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 122 (4), pp. 349-357 : 352-353

Odontotermes hainanensis ( Light, 1924) Termes hainanensis Light, 1924

1924. Light, China J. Sci. Arts, 2(1-4): 54 (Key); 251-254 (Description of sp.) Holotype: Repository not known. Type-locality: Kachek, Hainan,

China.

Odontotermes (Odontotermes) hainanensis (Light) :

1949. Snyder, Smiths. misc. Colls., 112: 229.

Material examined: 6 Soldiers, 12 Workers (ZSI/4984/ H11), India: West Bengal: Digha: Amrabati Park (21° 37’21’’ N, 87° 30’ 14’’ E), 18. iv. 2019, Coll. R. Sengupta, Extracted from: Decaying wood

Diagnosis: Soldier ( Figure 3A , Table 3): Head yellowish to partly brownish; antennae light yellow, uniformly coloured; mandibles basally yellow with reddish tinge and distally dark brown to black.

Head capsule broadly oval; strongly converging anteriorly ( Figure 3C ), antennae 15-16 segmented; segment 3 in 15 segmented antennae and 4 in 16-segmented antennae smallest, labrum tongue-shaped with a narrow tip, mandibles thin, sabre-shaped ( Figure 3E ); left mandible with a prominent tooth; right mandible

*Ranges measured for the first time in the present study (N = 5)

with a small, rudimentary tooth, postmentum sides strongly convex ( Figure 3D ), pronotum saddle shaped ( Figure 3B ); prominent emargination at anterior and posterior margin.

Worker ( Table 3): Dimorphic

Worker major ( Figure 3F ): Head pale yellow; body creamy white; head-capsule subsquarish ( Figure 3H ); sides almost parallel; maximum width below antennae; antennae 17 segmented; segment 3 shortest, postclypeus swollen, pronotum saddle shaped.

Worker minor ( Figure 3G ): Same as worker major but smaller in size. Antennae 16 segmented, segment 4 shortest.

Imago: Unknown

Distribution: India: West Bengal (present study), Elsewhere: Cambodia; China: Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan; Myanmar ( Burma), Thailand; Vietnam.

Remarks: Genus Odontotermes has the highest representation among all termites taxa in India and is also widespread ( Krishna et al., 2013). O. hainanensis is an addition to the list of 42 species of the genus recorded earlier from India. Eight species under this genus are listed as major pests ( Krishna et al., 2013, Shanbhag and Sundararaj, 2013). O. hainanensis is one of the minor pest species and are reported to attack sugar cane, fruit trees, forest trees and field crops ( Krishna et al., 2013). The species is largely Oriental, except for one distribution record in Palearctic China.

Figures

Figure 3. Odontotermes hainanensis (Light, 1924): Soldier: A. Whole body; B. Pronotum; C. Head capsule (Dorsal view); D. Head capsule (Ventral View); Worker: E. Mandibles; F. Whole body (major); G. Whole body (minor); H. Head capsule (dorsal).