Ruptitermes franciscoi (Snyder 1946) Snyder, 1946

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 : 465-467

Ruptitermes franciscoi (Snyder 1946) , new combination

Anoplotermes franciscoi Snyder 1959: 314 –315 (imago); Krishna et al. 2013: 1334 (catalog).

Type-material examined: VENEZUELA: Bolívar: El Pilar, 21.vii.1954, F. F Yépez & C.J. Rosales col., paratype imagoes, same sample as holotype (AMNH, MIZA). Holotype imago not examined (USNM).

Other material examined: BRAZIL: Roraima: Amajari, Ilha de Maracá , 14.v.1987, A.G. Bandeira col., workers ( INPA). VENEZUELA: Bolívar: San Francisco de Yuruani, 28.viii.2003, José Perozo col., workers (UnB- 1184). Cojedes: Girardot, Chaparral, 22.x.1986, E.M. Cancello & C.R.F. Brandão col., workers (MZSP-9974). San Carlos, 04.viii.1999, C.J. Rosales col., workers (UnB-2208). Guárico: Valle la Pascua, 09.vii.2003, José Perozo col., workers, imagoes (UnB-1619). Venezuela, no label data, imagoes and workers (UnB-2028).

Imago ( Fig. 8 ). Head capsule reddish brown, paler around antennal sockets and darker around ocelli, with many long bristles and densely covered with short hairs, about 1/5 of the length of bristles. Eyes rounded, relatively small. Fontanelle oval, very small and concave, a little paler than head capsule. Ocelli medium-sized, distant from eyes. Frontal marks oval, small and faint. Postclypeus very light brown, much paler than head capsule; with many bristles and dense short hairs. Antenna light brown, paler than postclypeus. Mandibles similar to those of R. xanthochiton . Pronotum about the same width as head; anterior margin concave; lateral margins slightly convex, converging posteriorly; light brown, with a conspicuous elongate, white spot on midline close to anterior lobe and a smaller posterior spot; with many bristles and dense short hairs. Scutum and scutellum light brown, a little darker than pronotum; lateral margins of scutellum white. Pleural sclerites and coxae light brown; femur and tibia brownish yellow. Tergites light brown, a little paler than pronotum; sternites paler than tergites. Measurements in Table 1 .

Worker ( Figs. 9 , 22 F, 24J–K). Head capsule large and rounded, reddish brown, paler anteriorly, with sparse bristles and hairs of variable size. Short hairs present between fontanelle and vertex. Postclypeus light brown, with 1–2 bristles on each lobe. Fontanelle rounded and conspicuous, paler than head capsule, with well-defined border. Frontal marks faint, elliptical. Mandibles similar to those of R. xanthochiton , but with a very shallow notch on left mandible. Thoracic nota light brown, paler than head capsule, with bristles only on borders. Procoxae with 5–7 spine-like bristles of variable size on anterior surface, arranged along a curved line ( Fig. 9 C). Meso- and metacoxae without spine-like bristles. Protibia moderately inflated, with spine-like bristles irregularly distributed along inner margin ( Fig. 9 B). Tergites light brown, about the same color of thoracic nota, with two rows of bristles and many short hairs on surface. Dehiscent glands filling about 1/6 of the abdomen (reaching second abdominal segment). Enteric valve unsclerotized; ridges reticulated in a pattern similar to those of R. atyra ( Fig. 24 E–F). Measurements in Table 2 .

Comparisons. The worker of R. franciscoi can be recognized by the very shallow notch of left mandible ( Fig. 9 F). Compared to R. reconditus , the worker of R. franciscoi is usually larger, has a larger and more conspicuous fontanelle, and has more hairs on head capsule, especially in the region between fontanelle and vertex and on lateral sides. The enteric valve resembles that of R. atyra .

Distribution. Occurs in Venezuela and in Roraima, Brazil ( Fig. 27 ).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Imago of Ruptitermes franciscoi (Snyder 1959), new combination. A, head in profile; B, head and pronotum in dorsal view; C, pterothorax in dorsal view.

FIGURE 9. Worker of Ruptitermes franciscoi (Snyder 1959). 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 27. Geographic range of Ruptitermes bandeirai, sp. n., R. cangua, sp. n., R. franciscoi (Snyder 1959), new combination, R. kaapora, sp. n., and Ruptitermes krishnai, sp. n.