Termitomorpha manni (Seevers)

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 : 16-22

Termitomorpha manni (Seevers)

( Figs. 14–19 , 21 )

Termitosomus manni Seevers 1946: 253 (description), type-locality: Rurrenabaque, Beni, Bolivia, host: Nasutitermes peruanus (Holmgren) and N. pilosus Snyder , deposited in U.S. N.M. (Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History). Type not examined.

Termitomorpha manni: Seevers (1957: 84 , 88; new combination, redescription, host record, key); Caron et al. (2018: 577; key).

Diagnosis. In the last published key to the species of Termitomorpha ( Caron et al. 2018) T. manii Seevers runs to T. alata Caron & Bortoluzzi, 2018 . However, T. manii differs from T. alata in having pronotum with base slightly notched at middle.

Description. Female. Body length approximately: 4.0 mm; predominant light reddish-brown, except darkbrown head, pronotum and elytra. Dorsal surface of head, pronotum and elytra glossy with sparse setigerous pores.

Head subquadrate ( Fig. 15A ), vertex sparsely setose; clypeus with a low, transversely arcuate elevation before antenna; eyes slightly shorter than temples, length of eyes about 1/3 of total head length. Antenna strongly geniculate; article I nearly the length of articles II to V combined; article II almost twice longer than article III; article III 1/4 longer than article IV; articles IV to X with about the same length; article XI with the length of articles IX to X combined and with a pair of coeloconic sensilla ( Fig. 15E ). Labrum almost four times wider than long; with a cluster of thick long bristles on anterolateral corner; with strongly emarginate anterior margin and with sinuous posterior margin ( Fig. 15G ). Mentum with anterior margin straight; somewhat sinuous on lateral margins; longer than wide; posterior region very narrower than the base ( Fig. 15F ). Mandibles nearly symmetrical; with subapical tooth, huge membranous prostheca and internal region excavated ( Figs. 15B , 18E ). Maxilla with galea slightly narrower than lacinia; galea and lacinia with fringed internal margin; lacinia with pointed apex; galea with spike-like bristles; maxillary palpus 4-segmented; article II external side slight convex and with bristles; article III longer than wide, longer than the article II, elliptic, tapering gradually toward apex, with convex external side and with strongly excavated internal side; article IV tiny and spiniform ( Figs. 15H , 18C–D ). Labium with ligula very short, membranous, sinuate at apex; labial palpus 3-segmented, article I longer than articles II and III together ( Fig. 15F ).

Pronotum somewhat wider than long; strongly convex with median suture; disk with one pair of three bristles, arranged in a row, each close to lateral margin, anterior margin strongly arcuate, lateral margin nearly straight, posterior margin arcuate and notched medially ( Fig. 15C ). Prosternum extremely short, 1/4 as long as the pronotum; anterior margin without median projection; posterior margin with a pair of clubbed projections ( Fig. 15D ). Front tibia with tiny bristles along internal margin ( Fig. 16D ). Elytra subquadrate with truncate posterior margin ( Fig. 16C ); disk with two long bristles; with acute tooth at the anteromedial border in internal view, tooth long and densely scaled ( Figs. 18A–B ). Hind wings not developed (brachypterous) ( Fig. 16B ). Middle trochanter without projection ( Fig. 16E ). Middle femur without notch in ventral surface of anterior region ( Fig. 16E ). Tarsal formula 5–5–5; tarsomere I the longest; tarsomeres IV and V almost fused ( Figs. 16D–F ).

Abdomen physogastric, almost two times wider than elytra and the maximum width on segment V; segment I broadly joined to metanotum ( Fig. 16B ); tergite II with one pair of triangular projections in anterior margin, posterior half with many bristles ( Fig. 17A ); tergite VII trapezoidal, two times wider than long, with two rows of bristles, one row with two long bristles on median region and one row with two long bristles on posterior region, anterior margin with a pair of glands on median region ( Figs. 17D , 19A–C ); tergite VIII trapezoidal, two times wider than long, with a row of four long bristles close to posterior margin ( Fig. 17B ); female sternite VIII two times wider than long, with laterally projected lateral margins and with a small triangular projections in anterolateral corner, posterior margin sinuous, one row of eight bristles close to posterior margin ( Fig. 17E ); tergite IX without ventral struts and with two long bristles; sternite IX represented by a pair of hemiesternites laterally attached to tergite IX ( Fig. 17C ); tergite X with four long bristles ( Fig. 17C ). Spermatheca small, with distinct capsule, chamber and duct; slight narrowed at the base of capsule ( Fig. 17F ).

Material examined. Brazil. Paraíba: Areia , ninho de [= nest of] Nasutitermes ephratae ( MZ21260 ), 20.I.2020, leg. C.M. Pires-Silva & I. Eloi (2 ♀♀) .

Geographical records. Brazil (Paraíba), Bolivia (Beni) ( Fig. 21 ) ( Seevers 1957).

Host termites. This species has been found in arboreal nests of Nasutitermes Dubley species, such as N. ephratae (Holmgren) , N. peruanus (Holmgren) and N. pilosus Snyder ( Seevers 1957)

Remarks. There are no images of diagnostic characteristics in the original description of this species ( Seevers 1946). Therefore, this species has been redescribed and illustrated in this study. However, because male specimens were not found, this redescription was based only on female specimens. This is the species’ first record for Brazil.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Termitomorpha manni, female, habitus. A) Lateral view. B) Dorsal view. Scales bars: 2 mm.

FIGURE 15. Termitomorpha manni (Seevers 1946). 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, E, H = 0,3 mm; B, D, F, G = 0,15 mm.

FIGURE 16. Termitomorpha manni (Seevers 1946). A) Meso-metaventrite, ventral view. B) Meso-metanotum and tergite I, dorsal view. C) Elytra, dorsal view. D) Front leg. E) Middle leg. F) Hind leg. Scales bars: A–C = 0,15 mm; D–F = 0,3 mm.

FIGURE 17. Termitomorpha manni (Seevers 1946). A) Tergite II, dorsal view. B) Tergite VIII, dorsal view. C) Female tergites IX and X, dorsal view. D) Tergite VII, dorsal view; E) Female sternite VIII, dorsal view. F) Spermatheca. Scales bars: A–E = 0,3 mm; F = 0,7 mm.

FIGURE 18. Termitomorpha manni. A) Elytron, ventral view. B) Detail of the anteromesial border of elytron, internal view. C) Maxilla; D) Distal portion of maxillary palpus. E) Mandible. Scales bars: A, D = 200 µm; B = 20 µm; C, E = 50 µm.

FIGURE 19. Termitomorpha manni. A) Tergite VII, dorsal view. B–C) Gland opening 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.