Ruptitermes atyra, Acioli, Agno Nonato Serrão & Constantino, Reginaldo, 2015

Acioli, Agno Nonato Serrão & Constantino, Reginaldo, 2015, A taxonomic revision of the neotropical termite genus Ruptitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitinae), Zootaxa 4032 (5), pp. 451-492 : 461-462

Ruptitermes atyra , new species

Holotype: worker from lot UnB-5965

Type-locality: BRAZIL: Amazonas: Benjamin Constant, Nova Aliança (lat 4.3579S long 69.5991W)

Type-repository: UnB.

Paratypes: BRAZIL: Amazonas: Benjamin Constant, Guanabara 2, 15.iv.2004, A.N.S. Acioli col., workers (UnB-6275). Benjamin Constant, Nova Aliança, 27.iii.2004, A.N.S. Acioli col., workers (UnB-5965). PANAMA: Gamboa, Gamboa Pipeline Rd., 17.v.1991, Y. Roisin col., workers (UnB-8661, ULB-PANT93). 19.ix.1991, Y. Roisin col., workers (UnB-8663, ULB-PANT175). PERU: Madre de Dios: Madre de Dios, 01.xi.1997, D. Brightsmith col., workers (UnB-0534).

Etymology. From the Tupi work “ atyra ”, stiff hair, referring to the hairs on the protibia of workers.

Imago. Unknown.

Worker ( Figs. 5 , 22 C, 24E–F). Head capsule large and rounded, light brown, paler anteriorly, with sparse bristles and without short hairs. Postclypeus large and inflated, pale colored, with 1–2 bristles on each lobe. Fontanelle large and distinct, located in a depression near the center of head capsule. Mandibles similar to those of R. xanthochiton . Thoracic nota light brown, paler than head capsule; without bristles or hairs in the middle; pronotum with bristles along all margins; meso- and metanotum with a row of bristles on posterior margin. Procoxa with 5–6 long spine-like bristles on anterior surface, usually 4 along a straight line ( Fig. 5 C). Meso- and metacoxa with a distinct longitudinal row of 3–4 thick, long bristles on outer surface (almost as thick as the ones on the anterior surface of the procoxa). Protibia thin and elongate, with an irregular row of spine-like bristles along inner margin ( Fig. 5 B). Tergites light brown, about the same color of thoracic nota, with two rows of long, straight bristles, one along posterior margin and another near middle, and many hairs of variable size on entire surface. Dehiscent glands small, located mostly inside the thorax and barely extending into the abdomen. Enteric valve unsclerotized; ridges roughly rectangular (when fully distended, like in Fig. 24 F), reticulated with well-defined pentagonal or hexagonal cells; cells are larger near margins and become smaller toward a raised point located anteriorly ( Fig. 24 F). Measurements in Table 2 .

Comparisons. The workers of R. atyra are larger than most other species of Ruptitermes except R. cangua and R. xanthochiton . They can be recognized by the presence of 5–6 long spine-like bristles on procoxa, a row of 3–4 long and straight bristles on meso- and metacoxa, the relatively small dehiscent glands, and the small number of hairs on head capsule.

Distribution. From Panama to western Amazonia, in forest habitats ( Fig. 26 ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Worker of Ruptitermes atyra, sp. n. A, habitus; B, protibia; C, procoxae; D, head in profile; E, head in dorsal view; F, mandibles.

FIGURE 22. Worker heads of Ruptitermes, showing pilosity. All figures in the same scale.

FIGURE 24. Enteric valve armature of workers of Ruptitermes. A, R. araujoi; B – D, R. arboreus; E – F, R. atyra; G, R. bandeirai; H – I, R. cangua; J – K, R. franciscoi. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 26. Geographic range of Ruptitermes araujoi, sp. n., R. arboreus (Emerson 1925), and R. atyra, sp. n.