Rhynchotermes bulbinasus Scheffrahn

Constantini, Joice P. & Cancello, Eliana M., 2016, A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical termite genus Rhynchotermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae), Zootaxa 4109 (5), pp. 501-522 : 506-508

Rhynchotermes bulbinasus Scheffrahn

Rhynchotermes bulbinasus Scheffrahn 2010: 63 –68 ( major and minor soldiers, fig. 2–4; worker, fig.5–6; map, fig.1); Krishna et al. 2013: 1472 (catalog).

Holotype. Major soldier. 2.vi. 2009, elev. 113 m, J. Chase col., UFFL CO-270 (not examined).

Type-locality. COLOMBIA. Sucre: Buenavista, lat 9.3145N, long 75.0285W.

Paratype. Sucre: Sincelejo, lat 9.3776N, long 75.4330W, 02.vi.2009, R. Scheffrahn col., MZUSP 16115 (2 major and 3 minor soldiers, 5 workers) (examined).

Imago. Unknown.

Soldier ( Fig.3 C, 4C, 5C). Described and illustrated by Scheffrahn 2010: 64–66. Additional measurements given in Tables 3 .

Worker. Described and illustrated by Scheffrahn 2010: 64–66. Additional measurements given in Table 2 .

Biological notes. Rhynchotermes bulbinasus has been found feeding on cattle dung and under stones in an area of pasture as well as occupying an abandoned nest of Amitermes foreli Wasmann ( Scheffrahn 2010) . Scheffrahn (op. cit.) also recorded a gallery covered to a depth of about 15 centimeters that involved a hole in the ground through which workers and soldiers passed to forage and which may indicate a foraging behavior similar to that described for R. perarmatus . The following was recorded in field notes for samples deposited at the Museu de Zoologia da USP (MZUSP 11197): "in planting of Tabebuia rosea . Epigeal nest, sometimes leaning on trees, made of soil, very hard. "

Comparisons. Rhynchotermes perarmatus and R. bulbinasus are very similar but can be differentiated by the bulbous frontal tube and dimorphic soldier of the last whilst R. perarmatus has a subcylindrical frontal tube and monomorphic soldier.

Other material examined. COLOMBIA. Córdoba. Chimá, Montería, 22.vii.2002, J. Pujada-Villar col., MZUSP 11197.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Soldier head capsule dorsal view. A: Rhynchotermes amazonensis sp. nov. (major soldier, MZUSP 12800), B: idem (minor soldier, idem), C: R. bulbinasus (major soldier, MZUSP 16115), D: R. diphyes (major soldier, MZUSP 15934), E: idem (minor soldier, idem), F: R. matraga sp. nov. (MZUSP 16125), G: R. nasutissimus (lectotype DEZA), H: R. perarmatus (MZUSP 16114) and I: R. piauy (MZUSP 16126). Scale bar: 0.5 mm.