Termitomorpha fissipennis (Casey)

Silva, Ruan Felipe Da, Caron, Edilson & Carvalho-Filho, Fernando Da Silva, 2022, An update on Termitomorpha Wasman (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) including a new species, species redescriptions and geographic extension, Zootaxa 5205 (1), pp. 1-25 : 2-8

Termitomorpha fissipennis (Casey)

( Figs. 1–6 , 21 )

Termitogaster fissipennis Casey 1890: 187 (description), type-locality: Panama, host: not informed, deposited in USNM. (Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History). Type not examined.

Termitogaster simopelta Mann 1923: 341 , fig. 33 (description), type-locality: Guiana, Kartabo, host: Nasutitermes costalis Holmgren , deposited in USNM. (Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History). Type not examined.

Termitosomus fissipennis: Seevers (1939: 3, figs. 8, 20, 23; new combination); Seevers (1946: 253; key).

Termitomorpha fissipennis: Seevers (1957: 84 , 86, 87, figs. 15E, 18M; new combination, redescription, host record, key); Kistner & Jacobson (1976: 9–12, figs. 5, 6, 7; redescription of female and male, host record, distribution extension); Caron et al. (2018: 577; key).

Diagnosis. Termitomorpha fissipennis differs from other species of the genus in having external margin of metafemur with arcuate emargination in proximal two-thirds and anterior margin of prosternum with triangular median projection.

Description. Body length approximately 4.0 mm; predominantly pale-brownish, except dark-brown elytra. Dorsal surface of the head, pronotum and elytra glossy, with sparse setigerous pores.

Head subquadrate ( Fig. 2A ); front with a pair stout spiniform projections; eyes slightly shorter than temples, with about one-third of total head length. Antenna strongly geniculate; article I nearly the length of articles II to IV combined; article II almost twice as longer than article III; article III one-fourth longer than article IV; articles IV to X with about the same length; article XI nearly the length of articles IX to X combined and with a pair of coeloconic sensilla ( Fig. 2E ). Labrum much wider than long; with a row of four thick long bristles almost medially and a pair close to anterior margin; with straight anterior margin and with median region of posterior margin projected ( Fig. 2G ). Mentum with anterior margin strongly arcuate; much longer than wide; anterior region slightly narrower than the posterior ( Fig. 2F ). Mandibles nearly symmetrical; with subapical tooth, huge membranous prostheca and with excavated internal region ( Figs. 2B , 5C ). Maxilla with galea with the same length of lacinia; lacinia with pointed apex; galea with thick pointed bristles on the internal fringed margin ( Figs. 2H , 5E–F ); maxillary palpus 4-segmented; article II slight convex on the external side and with bristles, deeply excavated on internal face; article III longer than wide, longer than article II, elliptical, tapering gradually apically, with external side convex and with internal side strongly excavated; article IV tiny and spiniform. Labium with very short ligula, membranous, sinuate at apex, with a short cylindrical porrect process; labial palpus 3-segmented, elongated, decreasing uniformly in width ( Figs. 2F , 5D ).

Pronotum somewhat wider than long ( Fig. 2C ); convex; disk with two widely separated bristles close to posterior margin and four bristles forming a trapezium on the distal half; posterior margin projected. Prosternum extremely short, 1/4 as long as the pronotum; anterior margin with a median triangular projection; posterior margin with a pair of clubbed projections ( Fig. 2D ). Front tibia with tiny bristles along internal margin ( Fig. 3D ). Elytra with convex posterior margin ( Fig. 3C ); disk with two long bristles; with acute tooth at the anteromesial border in internal view, tooth long and densely scaled ( Figs. 5A–B ). Hind wings not developed (brachypterous) ( Fig. 3B ). Middle trochanter with not developed triangular projection ( Fig. 3E ). Middle femur with slight notch on ventral surface of anterior region ( Fig. 3E ). Hind femur external margin with arcuate emargination on proximal two-thirds and a conspicuous triangular projection ( Fig. 3F ). Tarsal formula 5–5–5; tarsomere 1 the longest; tarsomeres 4 and 5 almost fused ( Figs. 3D–F ).

Abdomen physogastric, almost two times wider than elytra and the maximum width on segment 5; segment I broadly joined to metanotum ( Fig. 3B ); tergite II with a pair of pointed triangular projections on anterior margin, posterior margin with many tiny bristles ( Fig. 4A ); tergite VII trapezoidal, two times wider than long, with one median row of four long bristles and one complete row of small bristles on posterior margin, anterior margin with a pair of glands each one placed on posterolateral corner ( Figs. 4B ; 6A–C ); tergite VIII trapezoidal, two times wider than long, with one median row of four long bristles and a complete row of small bristles on posterior margin ( Fig. 4C ); sternite VIII in female two times wider than long, with laterally projected lateral margins and with a pair of quadrate projections in anterior margin, posterior margin sinuous with triangular median projection, one row of six bristles close to posterior margin ( Fig. 5D ); sternite VIII in male similar to female, except of a pair of almost quadrate projections on anterior margin and strongly emarginate posterior margin ( Fig. 5F ); tergite IX in male with each lateral piece separated by tergite X, with two long bristles on lateral margin and with elongate ventral struts ( Fig. 5G ); tergite IX in female without ventral struts ( Fig. 5E ); male sternite IX not observed; female sternite IX represented by a pair of hemiesternites laterally attached to tergite IX ( Fig. 5E ); tergite X with four long bristles ( Figs. 5E, G ). Aedeagus. Paramere well-developed, with three bristles on apical lobe; apical lobe almost 1/3 of the size of paramere; velar sac extending to half of the apical lobe length; velar phragma triangular ( Fig. 4H ); median lobe with irregular-shaped bulbus and with acute tubus apex; internal sac well-developed ( Fig. 4I ). Spermatheca small, with distinct capsule, chamber and duct; with strongly curved chamber ( Fig. 4J ).

Material examined. Brazil. Pará: Belém, Research Campus of Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi , nest of Nasutitermes corniger , 28.VI.2021, leg. R.F. Silva (1 ♂ and 1 ♀) . Paraíba: Areia , nest of Nasutitermes corniger ( MZ21263 ), 21.XI.2019, leg. C.M. Pires-Silva & I. Eloi (1 ♂ and 1 ♀) .

Geographical records. Brazil (Pará and Paraíba), Costa Rica (Finca la Selva, Farm Castilla, Hamburg Farm and Santa Rosa), Guatemala (Tikal), Guyana (Kartabo), Panama (Barro Colorado Island) and Trinidad & Tobago (British West Indies: Northern Range) ( Seevers 1957; Kistner & Jacobson 1976) ( Fig. 21 ).

Host termites. This species has been found in arboreal nests of Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky) and Nasutitermes costalis (Holmgren) ( Seevers 1957) .

Remarks. The original description of Termitomorpha fissipennis by Casey (1890) is neither detailed nor illustrated. Seevers (1957) redescribed this species but only provided a low-resolution picture of the habitus. Kistner & Jaconson (1976) presented a concise redescription of this species, although with fine illustrations of several traits. Thus, we present in this study a more complete redescription of T. fissipennis , including mouthparts and genitalia, all of which are pictured. This species has only been recorded in Central America and north of South America ( Guyana) ( Seevers 1957, Kistner & Jacobson 1976). Therefore, this is the first record of the species in Brazil, where it was collected in the Amazon and Atlantic forests.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Termitomorpha fissipennis (Casey 1890), habitus. A) Lateral view. B) Dorsal view. Scales bars: 2 mm.

FIGURE 2. Termitomorpha fissipennis (Casey 1890). A) Head, dorsal view. B) Left and right mandibles, dorsal view. C) Pronotum, dorsal view. D) Prosternum, ventral view. E) Antenna. F) Mentum and labium, ventral view. G) Labrum, ventral view. H) Maxilla, dorsal view. Scales bars: A, C, F, H =0,3 mm; B, D, G = 0,15 mm; E = 0,6 mm.

FIGURE 3. Termitomorpha fissipennis (Casey 1890). A) Meso-metaventrite, ventral view. B) Meso-metanotum and tergite I, dorsal view. C) Elytron, dorsal view. D) Front leg. E) Middle leg. F) Hind leg. Scales bars: A–C = 0,15mm; D–F = 0,3 mm.

FIGURE 4. Termitomorpha fissipennis (Casey 1890). A) Tergite II, dorsal view. B) Tergite VII, dorsal view. C) Tergite VIII, dorsal view. D) Female sternite VIII, dorsal view. E) Female tergites IX and X, dorsal view. F) Male sternite VIII, dorsal view. G) Male tergites IX and X, dorsal view. H) Aedeagus, paramere, lateral view. I) Aedeagus, median lobe, lateral view. J) Spermatheca. Scales bars: A, E, J = 0,15 mm; G–I = 0,3 mm.

FIGURE 5. Termitomorpha fissipennis (Casey 1890).A) Elytron, ventral view. B) Detail of the anteromesial border of elytrum, internal view. C) Mandible, dorsal view. D) Ligula, ventral view. E) Maxilla. F) Maxillary palpus 3 and 4, internal view. Scales bars: A = 200 µm; E = 100; C, F = 50 µm; B, D = 20 µm.

FIGURE 6. Termitomorpha fissipennis (Casey 1890). A) Tergite VII, dorsal view. B–C) Detail of tergite VII, dorsal view. Scales bars: A = 200 µm; B = 20 µm; C = 10 µm.

FIGURE 21. Map with the points of occurrence of the species of Termitomorpha.