Cryptotermes garifunae Scheffrahn, 2018

Scheffrahn, Rudolf H., 2018, A new Cryptotermes (Blattodea (Isoptera): Kalotermitidae) from Honduras and known distribution of New World Cryptotermes species, Florida Entomologist 101 (4), pp. 657-662 : 657-661

Cryptotermes garifunae Scheffrahn sp. nov. 2018 ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

DEALATED MALE IMAGO ( Fig. 1 , Table 2). Head and nota light yellowish brown. Postclypeus hyaline. Chevron pattern on fore wing scales slightly darker than mesonotum. Legs very light yellow concolorous with abdominal sternites. Eyes dark grey, occupying 2/5 distance between vertex and genal margin, the latter of which are closer; ellipsoid with rectate margin at antennal socket. Ocelli moderately large, hyaline, touching eyes; oval except for acute wisp at dorsal margin. Antennae article formula 2> 3 <4 <5. Pronotum wider than long, distinctly narrower than head width at eyes; anterior and posterior margins nearly rectate, sides slightly convex. Arolia present.

1 University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Research & Education Center, 3205 College Avenue, Davie, Florida 33314, USA; E-mail: [e-mail] Corresponding author; E-mail: [e-mail]

SOLDIER ( Fig. 2 , Table 3). Head, in lateral view, grading from hyaline at the cervical margin to dark ferruginous brown at frontal flange; in dorsal view coloration is a patchwork of reddish brown to dark ferruginous brown corresponding with thickness of cuticular rugosity.

Mandibles concolorous with frons. Anterior pronotal margin yellowish brown, remainder yellowish. Head capsule cuboidal in dorsal view, sides nearly parallel until anterior protrusion of frontal flange; dorsal outline of head capsule, in lateral view, forming a weak “s” shape from flange to occiput.

Texture of dorsal rugosity moderate; more rugose in anterior half including frontal flange and frons. Frons deeply concave. Frontal flange robust, elevated, with median notch continuous with midvertex concavity; in dorsal view, flange forms circular 120° arch. Eye spots very faint.

Labrum short, apex upturned. Mandibles short, angular, bent about 120°; finely rugose. Dentition weakly developed.

In dorsal view, frontal horns large, globular, projecting beyond the frontal flange reaching the posterior margin of the postclypeus; genal horns small blunt, apex in line with anterior margin of antennal socket. In lateral view, frontal horns nearly semicircular, projecting beyond base of genal horns. Antenna with 11 articles; formula 2> 3 = 4 <5. Anterior margin of pronotum incised with weak irregular sinuosity; anterolateral corners square, lateral margins and posterior margin form an evenly rounded outline.

TYPE MATERIAL

HOLOTYPE soldier HONDURAS: Kerala , Laguna Guaimoreto (16.0132°N, 85.9184°W, elev. 6 m asl), 29-V-2007, J.A. Chase ( UF no. HN273).

ETYMOLOGY

Named afer the Garifuna people who live along the coastline of

Honduras.

DIAGNOSIS

The dealated imago of C. garifunae , along with C. fatulus (Light) and C. undulans Scheffrahn & KřeČek , are the smallest of the New World Cryptotermes . However, the C. garifunae imago has a lighter yellowish coloration than the other 2. The soldier of C. garifunae is the smallest of the New World Cryptotermes with the exception of C. fatulus (Light) which is of similar size but lacks head capsule rugosity.

In the key given by Scheffrahn and KřeČek (1999), the new species will key out at couplet 10 leading to C. darlingtonae sp. nov. and modified as follows:

10. Frontal horns, in lateral view, about 3 times larger than genal horns....................................................... 11

10’. Frontal horns, in lateral view either subequal or about 5 times larger than genal horns....................................... 12

11. Genal horns projecting forward and only slightly recessed behind frontal horns, lef mandible 0.68 to 0.75 mm long (Figs. 40–42).... C. darlingtonae sp. nov.

11’. Genal horns blunt, apex in line with anterior margin of antennal fossae, lef mandible 0.57 mm long................... C. garifunae

12. Frontal horns, in lateral view, about 5 times larger than genal horns; genal horns projecting more dorsally and greatly recessed behind frontal horns, lef mandible 0.63 to 0.72 mm long (Figs. 67–69)................................................. C. pyrodomus

12’. Frontal horns, in lateral view, subequal; smaller species, lef mandible 0.56 to 0.62 mm long (Figs. 19–21)........ C. aequacornis n. sp.

In addition to Cryptotermes localities reported in Casalla et al. (2016), Scheffrahn & KřeČek (1999), Scheffrahn et al. (2003), and Scheffrahn et al. (2009); Figures 3 to 5 include 1,452 new Cryptotermes records and localities recorded in the University of Florida Termite Collection. Only endemic C. brevis localities are included in these figures because of its expansive non-endemic pest localities ( Scheffrahn et al. 2009). Some localities yielded more than 1 sample of the same Cryptotermes species. New records are from Florida and Georgia, the West Indies ( The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and The US Virgin Islands), Central America ( Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama), and South America ( Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela).

Figures

Fig. 1. Dorsal (A) and lateral (B) views of the Cryptotermes garifunae female dealate (vertex of head capsule partially collapsed). Arrow of fore tarsus (C) points to arolium of dealate.

Fig. 2. Dorsal (A), anterodorsal (B), lateral (C), and ventral (D) views of Cryptotermes garifunae soldier head capsule. Arrows in lateral view of area near antennal fossa (E) point to frontal horn (FH) and genal horn (GH).

Fig. 3. Distribution of Cryptotermes species (Group 1) in Florida, the West Indies,and Caribbean Basin from the University of Florida termite collection and literature records. “UF collection ALL” represents other collection locations in the University of Florida termite collection.