Cryptotermes glaesarius, Engel & Krishna, 2007

Engel, Michael S. & Krishna, K., 2007, Drywood termites in Dominican amber (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 57 (2), pp. 263-275 : 269-272

Cryptotermes glaesarius , sp. n. ( Figs 2 , 6 )

Diagnosis:

The new species appears most similar to C .. yamini , also in Dominican amber. The species differs from the latter, however, by the concave anterior margin of the anteclypeus (straight in C .. yamini ) the larger number of antennal articles (16-18 versus 14 in C .. yamini )), the joining of M into Rs near the wing midlength (M joining Rs beyond wing midlength in C .. yamini )), and the overall larger body proportions ( Table 1).

Description:

Imago. Head and pronotum brown ( Fig. 2 ), integument glabrous; antennae and legs yellowish brown. Head and pronotum very sparsely setose, nearly bare, setae fine and short; costal margin of wing scale with a few, short, fine setae, surface of scale nearly bare. Lateral margins of head subparallel, posterior margin evenly rounded; Y-shaped coronal ecdysial cleavage line distinct; compound eye rounded, of moderate size, in lateral aspect separated from posterior border of head by distance approximately equal to compound eye length; ocellus oval, touching compound eye; anteclypeus subtrapezoidal, apical margin concave; postclypeus not demarcated; antenna with 16-18 articles; first article longest, approximately 1.5 times longer than wide; second and third articles approximately equal in size, each longer than fourth article. Pronotum wider than head, including compound eyes; anterior margin concave; lateral margins gently and evenly curved, subparallel; posterolateral corners broadly rounded, posterior margin shallowly concave medially. Tibial spur formula 3-3-3; arolium present. Forewing membrane hyaline, with weak papillae, such papillae generally not pigmented; Rs with six branches; M joining Rs near wing midlength ( Fig. 6 ).

Holotype:

Imago, no accession number, Early Miocene (Burdigalian) amber, Dominican Republic (specific mine unknown).

Paratypes:

Three paratype imagoes, DR-10-1503, DR-10-1534, last without accession number, Early Miocene (Burdigalian) amber, Dominican Republic (specific mine unknown). Deposited in the Amber Fossil Collection, Division of Invertebrate Zoology , American Museum of Natural History, New York .

Additional material:

Ten imagoes, DR-8-342, DR-10-1506, DR-10-1524, DR-10-1511, PB-271, PB-275, DR-10-1515, DR-10-1264, DR-10-1677, DR-10-1507, Early Miocene (Burdigalian) amber, Dominican Republic (specific mine unknown). Deposited in the Amber Fossil Collection, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York.

Etymology:

The specific epithet is the Latin term glaesarius , meaning “of amber.”

Figures

Figs 1-3: Photomicrographs of genera of Dominican amber Kalotermitidae (Isoptera). – 1 Holotype imago of Incisitermes peritusperitus sp. n. (DR-8-340). – 2 Holotype imago of Cryptotermes glaesariusglaesarius sp. n. (AMNH, no acc. no.). – 3 Holotype imago of Glyptotermes paleoliberatuspaleoliberatus sp. n. (DR-14-647).

Figs 6-7: Photomicrographs of holotype imagoes for Dominican amber Cryptotermes. – 6 Detail of forewing venation of Cryptotermes glaesariusglaesarius sp. n. (AMNH, no acc. no.). – 7 C .. yamini KRISHNAKRISHNA & BACCHUS.