Tanytermitalis Engel & Cai, 2021

JIANG, RI-XIN, ZHANG, HONG-RUI, ELDREDGE, K. TARO, SONG, XIAO-BIN, LI, YAN-DA, TIHELKA, ERIK, HUANG, DI-YING, WANG, SHUO, ENGEL, MICHAEL S. & CAI, CHEN-YANG, 2021, Further evidence of Cretaceous termitophily: Description of new termite hosts of the trichopseniine Cretotrichopsenius (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), with emendations to the classification of lower termites (Isoptera), Palaeoentomology 4 (4), pp. 374-389 : 384

Tanytermitalis Engel & Cai , gen. nov.

Type species. Tanytermitalis philetaerus Engel & Cai , sp. nov.

Etymology. The new genus-group name is derived from the generic name Tanytermes (using the genitive of L. termes as the root, termitis), type genus of the family, combined with the Latin suffix – alis (meaning, “to have the nature or quality of”). The gender of the name is masculine.

Diagnosis. Total body length (as preserved) 5.28 mm, head length 1.12 mm, maximum width 0.68 mm. Head elongate, posteriormost section not tapering, sides roughly parallel, (slightly tapering posteriorly slightly in Tanytermes ); labrum covering mandibles (i.e., mandibles not projecting beyond labral apex), apical margin comparatively straight, only slightly narrower than posterior margin, thus straight sides slightly converging apically, labrum slightly longer than clypeus (anteclypeus and postclypeus); anteclypeus transverse, with apical margin gently convex; postclypeus transverse, slightly shorter than anteclypeus along midline; both left and right mandibles with sharply-pointed and prominent apical teeth [remainder of dentition obscured from view dorsally and ventrally]; lacinia bifurcate apically (as is in most Isoptera ); antenna with 18 articles, flagellum moniliform; compound eyes without anterior emargination, circular, relatively small, immediately posterior to antennal torulus (separated from torulus in Tanytermes ), separated from posterior border of head by about twice compound eye diameter (separation greater in Tanytermes ); ocelli absent; fontanelle absent. Pronotum broader than long (longer than wide in Tanytermes ), maximal width slightly more than width of head (narrower in Tanytermes ), surface flat; anterior border slightly concave (straight in Tanytermes ); lateral borders parallel in anterior half, broadly rounding to posterior margin in posterior half; posterior border broadly and faintly convex (straight in Tanytermes ). Tarsi tetramerous; tibial spur formula 3–3–2 ( Tanytermes 2– 3–2); pretarsal claws simple, arolium absent (present in Tanytermes ). Wing membranes hyaline, faintly infumate, not reticulate; veins Sc, R, and Rs heavily pigmented, M and CuA thinner and lightly pigmented; forewing scale large, overlapping hind wing scale, humeral margin almost straight (as in Tanytermes ), basal suture weakly convex; all veins originating inside wing scale, termination of CuP (claval fissure) on posterior margin just prior to basal cleavage suture; Sc terminating on costal margin in proximal quarter of wing length, at distance from basal suture about 0.75× forewing scale length; R simple, terminating at point just proximad of wing midlength (terminating at about one-third wing length in Tanytermes ); Rs first branching slightly before termination of R (R shorter in Tanytermes , terminating in basal third of wing); Rs lacking inferior branches, with four superior branches (eight in Tanytermes ), all simple; Rs running generally parallel to costal wing margin for entire length, forming narrow radial field, Rs separate from M along its entire length, Rs terminating prior to wing apex (as in Tanytermes ); M relatively simple, running about half way between Rs and CuA, first branching slightly before wing midlength (in apical third of wing in Tanytermes ), with first branch terminating at wing apex, medial field encompassing wing apex; CuA pectinate along its entire length, CuA-field encompassing nearly entire posterior margin of forewing, about 0.75× of posterior margin (about 0.85× of posterior margin in Tanytermes ). Abdomen relatively narrow, cylindrical; cerci dimerous.