Macuxitermes colombicus Postle & Scheffrahn

Postle, Anthony C. & Scheffrahn, Rudolf H., 2016, A new termite (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae, Macuxitermes) from Colombia, ZooKeys 587, pp. 21-35 : 24-26

Taxon classification Animalia Isoptera Termitidae

Macuxitermes colombicus Postle & Scheffrahn sp. n. Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Material examined.

Holotype. Soldier. Labelled "(UF code CO442) Colombia, Depto. Magdalena, Ciénaga de Ortiz, 10.15187 -75.04366, 3JUN2009, col. SBCMKSN". The holotype is kept in the same vial as the paratypes.

Type locality.

COLOMBIA. Elevation 44 m

Paratypes.

One soldier and 12 workers. The material examined was hand-collected by John R. Mangold. The type and paratypes are deposited in the University of Florida Termite Collection (Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Davie, Florida).

Etymology.

The species name is derived from the latinization of Colombia, the type country.

Habitat and biology

(Fig. 8). Foragers were collected under a tree branch that had recently fallen in a cattle pasture. The wood had not been attacked, suggesting that this termite is probably a soil feeder.

Description.

Winged imago. unknown.

Minor soldier. unknown.

Major soldier (Figs 1, 2, 8). Monomorphic. Head capsule with characteristic microsculpture and with a few long, pale setae on posterior margin; in profile, nasus at an angle of 45 degrees to inferior angle of head capsule but slightly convergent with plane of mandibles; fronto-clypeal region slightly inflated, length less than one-third width, distal margin hyaline, postclypeus with transverse rugulae; labrum broader than long, with convex sides and rounded apex, distal margin hyaline; postmentum very short; mandibles not upturned apically, marginal teeth tapering distally to a sharp point which is directed anteriorly; antennae yellow with 15 articles, 1>2>3=4=5.

Pronotum narrower than head, anterior lobe longer than broad, arising very steeply from posterior lobe so that it is positioned like a brace under the posterior margin of the head capsule, posterior lobe more than twice as broad as long, lateral and postero-lateral margins with numerous dark short, tooth-like spines; lateral margins of meso- and metanotum with similar spines. Legs slender with irregularly spaced long, pale, fine, erect setae on femora, tibiae and tarsi, fore-coxae ridged but with no projecting keel, fore-tibiae slightly inflated, fore- and mid-coxae with two short, dark, stout distal spines on inner ventral surface near junction with trochanter; tibial spur formula 2: 2: 2. Abdominal tergites and sternites with numerous, closely packed, long and short pale, erect setae.

Measurements - mean and range in mm (n=2): head length with nasus: 2.30 (2.20-2.40), head length to base of mandibles: 0.96 (no range), maximum head width: 1.36 (1.32-1.40), maximum pronotal width: 0.82 (0.80-0.84), length of hind tibia: 1.17 (1.16-1.18).

Worker (Figs 3-8). Monomorphic. Body slightly smaller than that of the soldier. Fig. 8 shows workers and soldier to have exceptionally contrasting coloration between the abdomen (very dark) and thorax (very pale). Head rounded, with scattered long, pale, fine, erect setae; postclypeus strongly inflated, labrum with two long erect setae either side of midline; both mandibles with apical tooth longer than marginal teeth, inner margin of each apical tooth slightly concave and longer than the anterior margin of the first marginal tooth, second marginal tooth small but distinct, molar plates with no obvious ridges; left mandible with posterior margin of first marginal tooth slightly concave, second marginal tooth slightly smaller than and well separated from third marginal tooth, molar plate clearly visible although covered by molar process which projects beyond apex of third marginal tooth; right mandible with second marginal tooth much smaller than first but evident, posterior margin of first marginal tooth concave, posterior margin of second marginal tooth concave to molar plate which is very reduced and anterior to molar process; antennae with 15 articles, basal articles pale yellow, distal five-seven articles darker yellow.

Pronotum narrower than head, anterior lobe as in soldier, much longer than broad and rising at a very steep angle (>80 degrees) from the posterior lobe, about as long as broad; anterior margin with a row of long, pale, erect setae interspersed with smaller setae, posterior lobe short and broad; lateral and postero-lateral margins of pronotum and lateral margins of meso- and metanotum with numerous short, dark, serrations or tooth-like spines. Legs slender with numerous long, pale, erect setae on femora, tibiae and tarsi, a few prominent dark spines on anterior and inner ventral surfaces of fore- coxae and basal region of fore-femora, shorter, irregularly spaced shorter dark spines elsewhere on these segments, fore-coxae ridged but with no projecting keel, fore-tibiae slightly inflated, a ventral row of longer dark spines, along with a few scattered, much shorter dark spines on distal half; tibial spur formula 2: 2: 2. Tergites and sternites with numerous closely packed, long and short pale, fine, erect setae.

Digestive tube almost identical to that of Macuxitermes triceratops as depicted in Constantino (1997) (See generic description for details). The cross-section of the gizzard resembles very closely that of Cornitermes cumulans (Kollar) as illustrated in Noirot (2001), in possessing a well-sclerotized columnar belt and a lightly sclerotized pulvillar belt. The pulvilli appear to lack spines. The internal ornamentation of P1 is similar to that of Macuxitermes triceratops as illustrated by Rocha and Constantini (2015) but the arrangement of the proximal aciculiform spines is different.

Measurements - mean and range in mm (n=12): head length with nasus/mandibles: 1.34 (1.28-1.44), head length to base of mandibles: 0.86 (0.84-0.92), maximum head width: 1.09 (1.04-1.12), maximum pronotal width: 0.62 (0.56-0.64), length of hind tibia: 1.06 (1.04-1.12).