Pericapritermes pilosus Bourguignon & Roisin

Bourguignon, Thomas, Leponce, Maurice & Roisin, Yves, 2008, Revision of the Termitinae with snapping soldiers (Isoptera: Termitidae) from New Guinea, Zootaxa 1769, pp. 1-34 : 22-23

Pericapritermes pilosus Bourguignon & Roisin , sp. nov.

( Figs 37–40 , 67 )

Holotype: PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Southern Highlands. Authors' collection reference # PNGT 1319: soldier, Pimaga, 19.x.1988, YR. In the collection of the IRSN. Paratypes: PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Southern Highlands. Authors' collection reference # PNGT 1319 (same colony as holotype): soldiers and workers.

Diagnosis. This species is easily distinguished from other ones by the large size and the densely hairy head of soldiers.

Imago. unknown.

Soldier ( Figs 37–38 ). Soldier of large size (Table 15). Head densely hairy, covered with many short setae, elongated, slightly rounded posteriorly, more than 2 times longer than wide. Fron flat. Labrum short, with few setae. Right mandible large, with tip not pointed. Postmentum narrow and elongated, with widest part 2.5 times larger than the narrowest part. Antennae 14-segmented. Entire body densely hairy.

TABLE 15. Measurements (mm) of 6 soldiers from the type colony of Pericapritermes pilosus sp. nov. Head length to anterolateral corner of the genae 3.72–3.81

Head depth with postmentum 1.51–1.57

Head max width 1.73–1.80

Head width at anterolateral corner of the genae 1.58–1.67

Right mandible length 2.08–2.21

Left mandible length 2.30–2.45

Postmentum max width 0.48–0.51

Postmentum min width 0.17–0.20

Pronotum width 1.01–1.04

Worker ( Figs 39, 40 ). Enteric valve well developed, with cushions each covered by about 10 well sclerotized triangular spines. Measurements as in Table 18 .

Distribution ( Fig. 67 ). Only known from Pimaga, Southern Highlands.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the densely hairy head of the soldier.

Figures

FIGURE 67. Known distribution of, Pericapritermes cf. schultzei;, Pericapritermes parvus sp. nov.;, Pericapritermes pilosus sp. nov.;, Pericapritermes papuanus sp. nov. Arrows indicate type localities. ˖, type locality of P. schultzei.

FIGURES 37 – 40. Pericapritermes pilosus sp. nov. (type colony): 37, soldier head, dorsal; 38, soldier head, lateral; 39, worker mandibles; 40, enteric valve. Scale bars: 37, 38, 2 mm.