Termitaradus mitnicki Engel, 2009

Engel, Michael, 2009, A new termite bug in Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic (Hemiptera, Termitaphididae), ZooKeys 25 (45), pp. 61-68 : 63-65

Termitaradus mitnicki Engel , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:468CF2DC-81E4-40B3-911D-F52F3170D6CE

Figs 1–2

Holotype. ♀, KU-DR-023. Deposited in the Fossil Insect Collection , Division of Entomology , University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Lawrence, Kansas, USA.

Figure |. Termitaradus mitnicki sp. n. ( KU DR-023), photomicrograph of female holotype, dorsal aspect (length of specimen 5.8 mm).

Diagnosis. The new species is immediately distinctive for the network of dorsal, segmentally-arranged carinae (Fig. 1) and the absence of the small globular nodule-like setae of other species. Th e species is larger than most other termitaphidids (2–4 mm), approximating in size the anomalously large T. protera in Mexican amber (5.8 mm vs. 7 mm). Like the other two fossil species, T. mitnicki shares a greater number of lobules (4) on the terminal abdominal segment, whereas modern species have only 2–3. The number of lobules on most abdominal segments is greater than in any other species, living or fossil, of termitaphidid.

Description. Female (adult): Total length 5.8 mm, maximal width 4.0 mm (length/width ratio 1.45). Integument generally reddish brown, although paler on sterna and on dorsal carinae (Fig. 1), lobules largely reddish brown although slightly lighter than body of laminae, apices of lobules more weakly sclerotized, paler than remainder; marginal setae typically pale yellow brown although some cleared, faint (the latter owing to preservation); ventrally faintly imbricate except longitudinally wrinkled on sterna ( Fig. 2 ), with mediolateral areas glabrous, without punctures; dorsally imbricate without punctures, with distinct and complex network of thick carinae arranged segmentally (Fig. 1), such carinae not extending onto laminae (Fig. 1), without setae. Antenna four-segmented, geniculate; first article elongate, length slightly longer than combined lengths of remaining articles combined; remaining articles short, clyindrical, apicalmost apparently slightly swollen (challenging to see in specimen). Labium three-segmented, basalmost segment much shorter than others; second longest, third approximately three-quarters length of second.

Legs with stout femora, greatest widths of femora 2.5–4× times width of tibiae; femora with widely scattered short setae on outer and inner surfaces; mesofemur ventrally with longitudinal row of 3–4 stiff, erect setae at about three-quarters length; metafemur with 4–5 long, fine, erect setae at about four-fifths length; tibiae with scattered short setae along lengths, particularly on outer surfaces, apically with patches of moderately dense, stiff setae; tarsi dimerous, basal tarsomere one-fourth to one-fifth length of apical tarsomere; pretarsal ungues (= claws) large, simple, without teeth; pulvilli present, slender, straplike, lengths nearly as long as that of pretarsal ungues.

Marginal setae of laminae generally subtriangular to lanceolate in form, apparently with serrate margins, none clavate. Th irteen marginal laminae present [two for head, first distinctly larger than, almost twice as large as, second and with narrow separation; three for thorax (one lobule per thoracic segment); and one each for the eight abdominal segments, seventh and eighth the smallest, seventh slightly less than one-half that of first, eighth about one-fifth that of first ( Fig. 2 )]. Laminae with lobules arranged as follows: 15 (head I), 5–6 (head II), 18 (prothorax), 16 (mesothorax), 12 (metathorax), 14 (abdominal I), 15–16 (abdominal II), 15–16 (abdominal III), 17–18 (abdominal IV), 15–16 (abdominal V), 14–15 (abdominal VI), 8 (abdominal VII), and 4 (abdominal VIII).

Male: Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Mr. Tyler Mitnick, nephew of Keith Luzzi who generously located and donated this fine specimen for study.

Figures

Figure 2. Termitaradus mitnicki sp. n. (KU DR-023), photomicrograph of female holotype, ventral aspect showing genitalia (length of specimen 5.8 mm).