Tonsuritermes, a new soldierless termite genus and two new species from South America (Blattaria: Isoptera: Termitidae: Apicotermitinae)
Author
Constantini, Joice P.
Author
Carrijo, Tiago Fernandes
Author
Palma-Onetto, Valeria
Author
Scheffrahn, Rudolf
Author
Carnohan, Lucas Paul
Author
Šobotník, Jan
Author
Cancello, Eliana M.
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-12-13
4531
3
383
394
journal article
27776
10.11646/zootaxa.4531.3.4
35b13416-1715-4a8a-a3fb-e03876d9f101
1175-5326
2614748
90C583D1-C656-495E-BDF1-CDB974EFB7C6
Tonsuritermes mathewsi
Cancello & Constantini
sp. nov.
(
Figs. 2
E–F; 3C; 6)
Holotype
:
worker from lot MZUSP 12268, (in a separate vial with the remaining sample).
Type-locality:
BRAZIL
.
Mato Grosso
:
Chapada dos Guimarães
, lat
15.4605S
, long
55.7497W
.
Type-repository:
MZUSP
Paratypes
.
BRASIL
.
Goiás
:
Anápolis
, lat
16.3266S
, long
48.9527W
,
DE Oliveira
coll., UEG 4075; same data of
holotype
sample:
04.viii.2009
,
TF
Carrijo
coll.,
MZUSP 12268
,
12615
,
27374
;
04.viii.2009
,
MR Rocha
coll.,
MZUSP 23920
.
Diagnosis.
Monomorphic worker; head capsule with long bristles of almost the same size and bristles of tergites scattered.
Imago. Unknown.
Worker. Monomorphic (
Fig. 2
E–F). Head capsule with long bristles of almost the same size. Bristles of tergites scattered. Postclypeus hyper-inflated. Fontanelle 1/4 diameter of head capsule in dorsal view. Protibia strongly inflated, with a groove in the inner surface of the profemur.
FIGURE 4.
Tonsuritermes tucki
sp. nov.
, worker. Digestive tube in A—dorsal; B—right; C—ventral; D—left views; Eenteric valve armature; F—enlarged view of the a cushion. Specimens from lots MZUSP6840 (A–E) and MZUSP 10367 (F). Gut regions indicated in figs. A–D:
C
=crop,
G
=gizzard,
M
=mesenteron,
MS
= mixed segment,
P1
= ileum,
P2
= enteric valve,
P3
= paunch,
P4
= colon,
P5
=rectum.
Comparison and remarks.
A huge variation at the head pilosity, number of spine-like bristles on the protibia, and form and size of the fontanelle were observed among the samples of the new genus, which makes the distinction of the two species quite challenging. Despite the similarity between
Tonsuritermes tucki
and
Tonsuritermes mathewsi
, the latter, with monomorphic workers, is restricted to the Brazilian savannah, the Cerrado, while the dimorphic
T. tucki
, was collected primarily in forests and was sampled mostly (but not only) in forest formations. The head of
T. tucki
has bristles of two sizes, and those on tergites are all pointing backwards, while in
T. mathewsi
the bristles are same size, long on the head, and in the tergites, the bristles are pointing in multiple directions. The postclypeous of
T. mathewsi
is more inflated than in
T. tucki
. The workers of
T. mathewsi
are larger than
T. tucki
(
Tab. 2
) and the fontanelle is on average lower in
T. mathewsi
than W2 of
T. tucki
. In addition, the protibia of
T. mathewsi
is more inflated, and the groove in the inner surface of the profemur is deeper.
Etymology.
Tonsuritermes mathewsi
is named in honour of A. G. Anthony Mathews for his important contribution to the taxonomy and biology of the termites of
Mato Grosso
,
Brazil
(
Mathews 1977
).
Biological notes.
Some samples were collected from derelict nests built by undetermined species of
Cornitermes
Wasmann,
1897
in cerrado vegetation.