Orthognathotermes aduncus Emerson

Rocha, Mauricio Martins Da & Cancello, Eliana M., 2009, Revision of the Neotropical termite genus Orthognathotermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Termitidae: Termitinae), Zootaxa 2280, pp. 1-26 : 5-6

Orthognathotermes aduncus Emerson

(figs. 2, 16, 30, 34, 35)

Orthognathotermes aduncus Emerson in Snyder, 1949:176.

Orthognathotermes macrocephalus ; Emerson, 1925:451 –453 (Imago and soldier, 93, misidentification). Orthognathotermes aduncus ; Mathews, 1977: 125 (Imago and soldier, 73, 74, redescription).

Holotype: AMNH (soldier), not examined.

Paratypes: AMNH, not examined, and MZUSP soldiers, workers and imagos. GUYANA, Kartabo, 21.IV.1919, A. E. Emerson coll.(3689), examined. See comments below.

Imago. Eyes large, distant from the inferior margin of head by less than the larger diameter of the ocellus. Ocelli in dorsal view semicircular, oval and touching the eyes in lateral view. Fontanelle broad and mediumsized. Head capsule covered by short hairs, bristles on dorsal face. Labrum with bristles on two rows. Pronotum with bristles and short hairs, mainly on the margins. Mesonotum and metanotum covered by dense bristles, concentrated in the center and posterior margins. Head brown, pronotum and tergites pale brown, sternites yellow, legs and wing scales pale brown.

Comparisons. The imago of O. aduncus differs from those of the other known species by the combination of large ocelli, fontanelle and eyes. The most similar imago is O. wheeleri , from which it differs by the labrum with dispersed bristles and more salient ocelli, not touching the eyes.

Soldier. Head sides parallel in dorsal view. In profile dorsal lump salient, behind the flanges. Mandibles of the first pattern, tooth-like projection at proximal half. Head capsule with sparse bristles and short hairs denser in ventral surface, scattered microscopic hairs on all surfaces. Posmentum with bristles and short hairs. Pronotum with bristles and short hairs on the surface, mesonotum and metanotum with short hairs on posterior margins, abdominal tergites and sternites densely covered with short hairs and bristles on posterior margins.

Comparisons. O. aduncus soldier has mandibles of the first pattern, parallel head capsule sides and is larger than O. mirim sp. nov. and O. pilosus sp. nov. The most similar species are O. humilis , with larger soldier, O. tubesauassu sp. nov. that has smaller flange narrower at base and O. wheeleri with visible ocellar spots.

Geographical distribution. All registers for O. aduncus are in Amazonian forest ( Fig. 30 ).

Comments. Emerson in Snyder (1949) mentioned that the " Type " is deposited at the AMNH, referring to material described by Emerson (1925) as O. macrocephalus, Kumar Krishna confirms to us that the “ Type ” is a unique soldier under the label “ holotype soldier det & coll. Kartabo, British Guiana 21.1 V. 1919 # 39A.”

Emerson (1925) does not mention workers, although part of his material is deposited in MZUSP (3689) with workers.

Material examined. BRAZIL. Amazonas: Manaus/Itacoatiara (Km 232): 21.v.1977, A. Bandeira coll. (8351). Pará: Tucuruí (Rio Tocantins): 12.iv.1984, A.G. Bandeira coll. (MPEG-2072). Roraima: Ilha de Maracá: 21.xi.1978, A.G. Bandeira coll. (MPEG-3945).

Figures

FIGURE 30. Geographic distribution of O. aduncus, O. humilis, O. okeyma sp. nov., O. orthognathus, O. tubesauassu sp. nov. and O. wheeleri.