Lophotermes brevicephalus Miller

Bourguignon, Thomas, Leponce, Maurice & Roisin, Yves, 2008, Revision of the Termitinae with snapping soldiers (Isoptera: Termitidae) from New Guinea, Zootaxa 1769, pp. 1-34 : 12-13

Lophotermes brevicephalus Miller

( Figs 21–24 , 51–52 , 62 , 65)

Lophotermes brevicephalus Miller, 1991: 1214 .

Type material examined: paratypes from type locality. AUSTRALIA. ANIC. Queensland. #10–18095, Weipa, 4.xi.1978, L.R. Miller.

Other material examined. PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Authors' collection. Fly. # PNGT 1423: Morehead, 23.iii.1989, YR & ML.

Diagnosis. This species is related to L. aduncus and L. pectinatus . It is distinguished from the former by the longer mandibles and the downward projection of the postmentum of its soldiers ( Figs 21–22 ) and from the latter by the smaller size and shorter head of its soldiers. Worker enteric valve with 6 cushions of alternating size, covered with many short spines. Measurements as in Tables 8–9 and 18 .

Distribution (Fig. 65). L. brevicephalus was collected only once at Morehead (Fly), in southern Papuan savannas. It is also known from various places in Queensland ( Miller 1991, Watson & Abbey 1993: 110).

Length without wings 4.82 Head length to apex of the labrum 1.01 Head length to clypeo-frontal suture 0.59 Head width with eyes 0.92 Eye maximum diameter 0.27 Ocellus maximum length 0.12 Pronotum length 0.52 Pronotum width 0.81 Head length to apex of frontal tubercle 1.50–1.65 Head length to anterolateral corner of the genae 1.36–1.45 Head depth with postmentum 0.75–0.83 Head depth without postmentum 0.96–1.01 Head maximum width 1.04–1.09 Pronotum width 0.55–0.60 Left mandible length 1.85–1.96 Postmentum minimum width 0.23–0.25 Distance between tips of lateral tubercles 0.81–0.91

Figures

FIGURE 62. Worker digestive tract of Lophotermes brevicephalus. From left to right: dorsal view, right view, ventral view and left view. Mesenteron stippled. Arrows indicate the direction of transit.

FIGURES 21 – 24. Lophotermes brevicephalus: 21, soldier head, dorsal; 22, soldier head, lateral; 23, worker mandibles; 24, enteric valve. Scale bars: 21, 1 mm; 22, 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 45 – 56. Alate. Protocapritermes odontomachus: 45, head; 46, pronotum. Ephelotermes paleatus: 47, head; 48, pronotum. Ephelotermes cheeli: 49, head; 50, pronotum. Lophotermes brevicephalus: 51, head; 52, pronotum. Macrognathotermes errator: 53, head; 54, pronotum. Pericapritermes parvus sp. nov.: 55, head; 56, pronotum. Scale bars: 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 54, 56, 0.2 mm; 45, 51, 53, 55, 0.5 mm.