Protocapritermes odontomachus (Desneux) Desneux, 2008

Bourguignon, Thomas, Leponce, Maurice & Roisin, Yves, 2008, Revision of the Termitinae with snapping soldiers (Isoptera: Termitidae) from New Guinea, Zootaxa 1769, pp. 1-34 : 6-7

Protocapritermes odontomachus (Desneux) , comb. nov.

( Figs 5–8 , 45–46 , 59 , 65)

Termes (Eutermes) odontomachus Desneux, 1905: 371 .

Mirotermes odontomachus (Desneux) .— Holmgren, 1911: 462. Termes odontomachus Desneux. — Snyder, 1949: 184.

Type material examined: syntypes. PAPUA NEW GUINEA. IRSN collection. Morobe. Termes (Eutermes) odontomachus Desneux, Sattelberg , 24.ix.1898, L. Biró.

Other material examined. PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Authors' collection. East Sepik. # PNGT 71: Blup Blup Island, 16.vi.1981, JMP. – Madang. # PNGT 32: Boisa Island, 3.xii.1978, JMP. # PNGT 43: Laing Island, 14.xii.1978, JMP. # PNGT 49: Yoro, 26.xii.1978, JMP. # PNGT 246: Bogia, 4.iii.1983, JMP & YR. # PNGT 273: Potsdam, 23.iii.1983, YR. # PNGT 351: Potsdam, 17.v.1983, YR. # PNGT 355: Sepen 2, 18.v.1983, YR. # PNGT 367: Yoro, 20.v.1983, YR. # PNGT 427: Guam River (bridge on Bogia–Josephstaal road), 29.x.1983, YR. # PNGT 525: Kokun camp, 26.i.1984, YR. # PNGT 531, 532: Yamu, 29.i.1984, YR. # PNGT 686: Bunapae, 12.vi.1984, YR. # PNGT 691, 692: Potsdam, 15.vi.1984, YR. # PNGT 712: Guam River (bridge on Bogia– Josephstaal road), 23.vi.1984, YR. # PNGT 750: Bunapae, 23.vii.1983, YR. # PNGT 762: Potsdam, 26.vii.1984, YR. # PNGT 794: Yoro, 25.viii.1984, YR. # PNGT 804: Hansa Point, 3.ix.1984, YR. # PNGT 817: Boisa Island, 6.ix.1984, YR. # PNGT 895: Yoro, 22.ii.1985, JMP & YR. # PNGT 1191: Bunapae, 21.iv.1988, YR. # PNGT 1328: Braham Mission, 18.xi.1988, YR. – Morobe. # PNGT 159: Mount Missim (alt. 1600m), 11.ii.1983, collected by JMP & YR. # PNGT 160, 164: Mount Missim (alt. 1600m), 12.ii.1983, JMP & YR.# PNGT 179: Wampit, 6.ii.1983, JMP & YR. # PNGT 1094: Oomsis, 26.v.1987, YR. # PNGT 1226: Bulolo, Manki Ridge (alt. 1350m), 18.v.1988, YR. – Southern Highlands. # PNGT 1302: Pimaga, 16.x.1988, YR. – Fly. # PNGT 1621: Nomad, 29.v.1990, YR & ML. # PNGT 1623: Nomad, 31.v.1990, YR & ML. # PNGT 1661: Nomad, 3.vi.1990, YR & ML. – West Sepik. # PNGT 1730: Yapsiei, 10.iii.1994, YR & ML. # PNGT 1741: Yapsiei, 11.iii.1994, YR & ML. – New Ireland: # PNGT 602: Kolonoboi, 25.v.1984, JMP & YR. Lemakot: 30.v.1984, JMP & YR. # PNGT 629: Lemakot, 30.v.1984, JMP & YR. – Manus. # PNGT 662, 669, 672: 32 km from Lorengau on road to M'Bunai (approx. 2°06’S, 147°10’E), 4–6.vi.1984, JMP & YR. ANIC. Morobe. #10–9843: Bulolo, 12.vi.1961, J. Lake. #10–9911: Lae, 13.ix.1961, J.H. Ardley. #10–11021: Wau, 19.iv.1963, L. Clifford & JHB. #10–11039: Oomsis, 3.ix.1963, L. Clifford. – Western Highlands. #10–12512: Jimi, 18.ix.1968, FRW. – New Ireland. #10–12927: Namarodu, 29.iv.1969, B. Gray. INDONESIA. Authors' collection. Irian Jaya. # IRJT 55: Pusppenssat (50 km from Nabire on Ilaga road): 15.xi.1995, YR.

Imago ( Figs 45–46 ). Head capsule covered by many fine setae and by about 30 large scattered setae. Eyes prominent. Antennae 15-segmented. Pronotum wide and short. Measurements as in Table 1 .

Soldier ( Figs 5–6 ). Head elongated, slightly longer than wide, rectangular-shaped, covered by about 70 setae. Frontal projection reduced, bearing many setae. Labrum bearing about 10 setae, slightly elongated, with anterior corners drawn out into long points. Mandibles as long as head. Antennae 14-segmented. Postmentum flat. Measurements as in Table 2.

Worker ( Figs 7–8 ). Monomorphic. Enteric valve, with 6 cushions of slightly unequal size, each with 3 to 7 long stout spines. Measurements as in Table 18 .

Generic assignment. Protocapritermes odontomachus differs from Termes species by its soldier with shorter frontal tubercle and shorter mandibles, worker digestive tract with subdivided P3, enteric valve with few spines ( Fig. 7 ). These characters suggest a close relationship with P. krisiformis ( Fig. 60 ).

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from P. krisiformis by its shorter head and more prominent frontal tubercle in the soldier, and by its stronger enteric valve armature in the worker.

Distribution (Fig. 65). This species is common in New Guinean forests, where it was found up to 1700m a.s.l., but seems absent from the Papuan peninsula. It also occurs in New Ireland and on Manus Island, and was reported from the Solomon Islands ( Harris & Brown 1958).

Ephelotermes Miller, 1991: 1178 .

Type-species, by original designation: Ephelotermes melachoma Miller, 1991: 1178 .

Diagnosis. The genus Ephelotermes is characterized by its well-developed frontal projection and the lack of lateral tubercles in the soldiers ( Figs 9 , 13 ). Tibial spurs 3:2:2 or 2:2:2. Monomorphic workers. Worker left mandible index usually> 1, sometimes slightly lower ( Figs 12 , 16 ). Enteric valve with cushions of two sizes distributed according to a triradial symmetry, with many small triangular spines ( Figs 11 , 15 ). Worker digestive tract with P3 subdivided into 3 sections, successively small – large – small ( Fig. 61 ). Miller (1991) listed the following characters to distinguish between Termes and Ephelotermes : “Soldiers of Ephelotermes differ from the soldier T. fatalis in that the labrum is never elongated with long points but always relatively small, with short points or lacking points; the head capsule is always proportionally wider; and the mandibles are always more curved dorsoventrally”. For a detailed description see Miller (1991).

Figures

FIGURE 59. Worker digestive tract of Protocapritermes odontomachus. From left to right: dorsal view, right view, ventral view and left view. Mesenteron stippled. Arrows indicate the direction of transit.

FIGURE 60. Worker digestive tract of Protocapritermes krisiformis. From left to right: dorsal view, right view, ventral view and left view. Mesenteron stippled. Arrows indicate the direction of transit.

FIGURE 61. Worker digestive tract of Ephelotermes cheeli. From left to right: dorsal view, right view, ventral view and left view. Mesenteron stippled. Arrows indicate the direction of transit.

FIGURES 5 – 8. Protocapritermes odontomachus: 5, soldier head, dorsal; 6, soldier head, lateral; 7, enteric valve (4 cushions out of 6); 8, worker mandibles. Scale bars: 5, 0.5 mm; 6, 1 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.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Ephelotermes paleatus: 9, soldier head, dorsal; 10, soldier head, lateral; 11, enteric valve; 12, worker mandibles. Scale bars: 9, 10, 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Ephelotermes cheeli: 13, soldier head, dorsal; 14, soldier head, lateral; 15, enteric valve; 16, worker mandibles. Scale bars: 13, 14, 0.5 mm.

Tables

TABLE 1. Measurements (mm) of 4 male and 4 female imagoes from 2 colonies, plus 2 male and 2 female imagoes from the type colony of Protocapritermes odontomachus.

	Non-type male	Non-type female	Syntype male	Syntype female
Length with wings	8.82–11.05	9.00–9.66	/	/
Length without wings	5.06–5.57	5.46–5.59	4.56–4.90	5.34–5.64
Head length to apex of the labrum	1.07–1.10	1.08–1.11	1.13–1.14	1.14–1.20
Head length to clypeo-frontal suture	0.54–0.60	0.55–0.61	0.69–0.70	0.65–0.69
Head width with eyes	0.87–0.93	0.85–0.88	0.98–1.00	0.99–1.02
Eye maximum diameter	0.27–0.33	0.24–0.27	0.27–0.30	0.27–0.28
Ocellus maximum length	0.06–0.08	0.06–0.09	0.10–0.11	0.09–0.10
Pronotum length	0.41–0.53	0.42–0.49	0.48	0.48–0.50
Pronotum width	0.71–0.82	0.72–0.75	0.81	0.80–0.84
Forewing length	7.64–9.44	7.43–8.12	/	/
Forewing width	2.10–2.62	2.00–2.23	/	/
TABLE 2. Measurements (mm) of 33 odontomachus .	soldiers from 11	colonies and 4 soldiers	of the type colony	of Protocapritermes