Pericapritermes Silvestri

Bourguignon, Thomas, Leponce, Maurice & Roisin, Yves, 2008, Revision of the Termitinae with snapping soldiers (Isoptera: Termitidae) from New Guinea, Zootaxa 1769, pp. 1-34 : 17-18

Genus Pericapritermes Silvestri

Pericapritermes Silvestri, 1914: 134 –135.

Type-species, by original designation: Pericapritermes urgens Silvestri, 1914: 135 .

Diagnosis. Pericapritermes is the only genus in Papua New Guinea whose soldiers possess strongly asymmetrical mandibles. Left mandible strongly bent in the middle, without hook at tip or prominent basal projection and with rudimentary tooth in basal inner third. Right mandible bladelike, with tip usually pointed and bent outward anteriorly and inner apical margin straight. Labrum with anterior margin almost straight and anterolateral corners extended into short processes. Antennae with 14 articles. Tibial spurs 3:2:2. Middle tibia with one or two spines. Worker mandibles with apical teeth enlarged, left mandible with 1st and 3rd marginal tooth distant ( Figs 31 , 35 , 39 , 43 ). Worker left mandible index: 0.4–0.6. For additional descriptions of imago and soldier, see Krishna (1968).

Worker digestive tract ( Fig. 64 ). Gizzard narrow, separation with midgut badly visible. P1 slightly dilated. P3 large, undivided. P4 elongated and narrow, coming from the right to a central position in dorsal view. Enteric valve well developed. Six slightly asymmetrical cushions, with many short spines which appear triangular or spotlike when set flat on a slide. Smaller spines also present between cushions. An extensive armature of spines of various sizes is also present within P3.

Distribution. Pericapritermes species are broadly distributed from Africa to New Guinea throughout south and southeast Asia ( Krishna 1968). Miller (1991) mentions a single record from northern Queensland.

Figures

FIGURE 64. Worker digestive tract of Pericapritermes papuanus sp. nov. From left to right: dorsal view, right view, ventral view and left view. Mesenteron stippled. Arrows indicate the direction of transit.

FIGURES 29 – 32. Pericapritermes cf. schultzei (sample from colony # PNGT 1231, Bulolo): 29, soldier head, dorsal; 30, soldier head, lateral; 31 worker mandibles; 32, enteric valve. Scale bars: 29, 30, 1 mm.

FIGURES 33 – 36. Pericapritermes parvus sp. nov. (type colony): 33, soldier head, dorsal; 34, soldier head, lateral; 35, worker mandibles; 36, enteric valve. Scale bars: 33, 34, 1 mm.

FIGURES 37 – 40. Pericapritermes pilosus sp. nov. (type colony): 37, soldier head, dorsal; 38, soldier head, lateral; 39, worker mandibles; 40, enteric valve. Scale bars: 37, 38, 2 mm.

FIGURES 41 – 44. Pericapritermes papuanus sp. nov. (type colony): 41, soldier head, dorsal; 42, soldier head, lateral; 43, worker mandibles; 44, enteric valve. Scale bars: 41, 42, 1 mm.