Mastotermes reticulatus Jiang, Z. Zhao & Ren, 2024

Jiang, Yurong, Deng, Xinru, Shih, Chungkun, Zhao, Yunyun, Ren, Dong & Zhao, Zhipeng, 2024, Primitive new termites (Blattodea, Termitoidae) in Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, ZooKeys 1197, pp. 115-126 : 115

Mastotermes reticulatus Jiang, Z. Zhao & Ren sp. nov.

Fig. 4

Type material.

Holotype. Myanmar • Kachin State, Hukawng Valley; forewing (margin partly missing) only; Kachin amber; CNU-TER-BU-2017006 (Fig. 4 ).

Etymology.

Latin, reticulatus, meaning “reticulate”, which is in reference to the well-developed and clearly recognizable reticulated veins of holotype.

Locality.

The specimen was collected from the upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) deposits of the Hukawng Valley, Kachin State, northern Myanmar.

Diagnosis.

Forewing: wing length (excluding forewing scale) about three times as long as wide; forewing scale large; heavily reticulated, irregular bilayer structure in M and CuA, cross veins between Rs and M obvious; Sc, R, Rs, and M thickened, strongly sclerotized and obviously pigmented; Sc and R1 simple and short; Rs with seven or eight branches, with secondary branches, running parallel to costal margin; M with six branches, first branch of M arising at forewing mid-length, secondary branches present, medial field encompassing wing apex, angle of branches and main vein gradually increasing.

Description.

Forewing: forewing length (excluding forewing scale) 13.2 mm, width about 4.7 mm; suture length about 2.3 mm, strongly arched, making a sharp angle with posterior margin; distal costal margin slightly missing, posterior margin partially missing because of abrasion of the amber; base of costal margin rolled up, making the Sc and R poorly visible; Sc length 1.0 mm; R1 length 2.0 mm, Rs with eight branches; M slightly closer to Rs than to CuA, encompassing wing apex, six branches visible, angle of branches and main vein gradually increasing, so that branches terminate closely on margin, first branch of M arising at forewing mid-length, second branch arising at about distal third of forewing length, and base of third branch close to fourth branch with secondary branch.

Remarks.

The forewing of Mastotermes reticulatus sp. nov. is similar to that of Mastotermes monostichus Zhao, Eggleton & Ren, 2019, but there are some differences; the Sc, R, and Rs of Mastotermes reticulatus sp. nov. are closer, and there are fewer secondary branches, which makes the Rs veins parallel to the costal margin, instead of gradually narrowing as in M. monostichus . Compared with M. monostichus , the M vein of M. reticulatus sp. nov. is even more irregular and with fewer branches (Fig. 4 ). These different characteristics indicate that they are not the same species.

Figures

Figure 4. Photograph and drawing of Mastotermes reticulatus sp. nov., holotype specimen CNU-TER-BU- 2017006 (isolated forewing) A photograph of forewing B drawing of forewing (with upturned part flattened). Scale bar: 1.0 mm (A, B).