Prorhinotermes inopinatus Silvestri, 1909 Figs 84-8793

Prorhinotermes inopinatus Silvestri 1909: 287-288.

Prorhinotermes manni Snyder 1925: 399 (synonymized by Snyder 1949: 86).

Prorhinotermes solomonensis Snyder 1925: 400 (synonymized by Snyder 1949: 86).

Material examined.

Syntype:TONGA: Niua Fo’ou (as Insulae Samoa, Ninafoon) (B. Friedländer) (AMNH). Other material: PAPUA NEW GUINEA:Madang: Bunapas road, 26.vi.1981 (JMP), with neotenic reproductives (#PNGT111); Road Bogia-Tangu km 10, 07.vii.1981 (JMP) (#PNGT129); Potsdam, 18.iv.1983 (YR) (#PNGT325); Nubia, 18.v.1983 (YR) (#PNGT354); Sepen No.1, 29.x.1983 (YR), with nymphs and neotenics (#PNGT426); Bunapae, 12.vi.1984 (YR) (#PNGT687); Bunapae, 23.vii.1984 (YR), with queen in dead wood (#PNGT749); Potsdam, 24.vii.1984 (YR), with neotenics (#PNGT754); Hansa point, 05.ix.1984 (YR) (#PNGT808); Tabele (Manam Is.), 19.ix.1984 (YR) (#PNGT840); Laing Island, 06.ii.1985 (JMP & YR), with alates and neotenics (#PNGT857); Nubia, 25.v.1986 (YR), two colonies, the former dissected completely, with two primary queens and one neotenic male, and nymphs (#PNGT1012, 1013); Potsdam, 03.vi.1986 (YR), two colonies, the latter with many alates (#PNGT1019, 1020); Sepen No.1, 06.vii.1986 (YR) (#PNGT1035); Nubia, 12.vii.1986 (YR), two small colonies (#PNGT1039, 1040); Road Potsdam-Makarup km?, 30.viii.1987 (YR) (#PNGT1137); Sepen No.1, 26.iv.1988 (YR), with two neotenic females (#PNGT1192); Laing Island, 12.iii.1989 (ML), in log on sea shore, with alates (#PNGT1405); Hatzfeldthafen, 20.v.1983 (YR) (#PNGT362); Tabobo, 23.ii.1983 (JMP & YR), with royal pair (#PNGT219); Yagaum Hospital, 07.ii.1983 (JMP & YR), with neotenics (#PNGT149); Yagaum Hospital, 12.iv.1983 (YR), two colonies, the former with alates (#PNGT310, 311); Yagaum Hospital, 13.v.1983 (YR) (#PNGT346); Baitabag, xi.1999 (L. Čižek) (#12, J. Šobotník’s collection). Morobe: 21 km NW Lae, 08.xii.1962 (AE), from log on ground in lowland forest (AMNH); Lae, 11.xii.1962 (P. Aloma & AE), rather wet log on forest floor in Botanic Garden (AMNH); 5 km S Lae, 21.xii.1962 (P. Aloma), 2 samples in mangrove branches and stump in water (AMNH); 8 km NW Lae, 27.xii.1962 (AE) (AMNH); 32 km NW Lae (Markham road), 27.xii.1962 (AE), in standing dead tree on edge of Pandanus forest (AMNH); 32 km SW Lae, 29.xii.1962 (AE), in sago forest (AMNH); Oomsis, 24.v.1988 (YR) (#PNGT1241); Sandaun: Yap siei, 12.iii.1994 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1753); Fly: Tabubil, 20.v.1990 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1539); Nomad, 29.v.1990 (YR & ML), two colonies, the former with neotenics (#PNGT1608, 1612); Nomad, 01.vi.1990 (YR & ML), (#PNGT1635). INDONESIA:Papua: Pusppenssat-IrJa, 13-15.xi.1995 (YR), three colonies, the first two with neotenics (#IRJT16, 27, 44); Pusppenssat-IrJa, 18.xi.1995 (YR) (#IRJT76); road Nabire-Mapia km 43, 26.xi.1995 (YR) (#IRJT172); Pusppenssat-IrJa, 01.xii.1995 (YR) (#IRJT213). Kaimana, 23.xi.1995 (YR), in dead log on limestone hill (#IRJT145).

Imago.

(Fig. 85). Head slightly rounded, covered by about 10 setae. Eyes variable in size. Pronotum with large setae mainly situated on the edges. Measurements (mm) of 12 imagoes from 2 colonies: TBL: 4.38-6.72; HLC: 1.09-1.33; HWE: 1.20-1.47; PL: 0.65-0.81; PW: 1.09-1.27; FWL: 6.67-8.42; ED: 0.24-0.37.

Soldier.

(Figs 84, 86-87). Head slightly elongated, covered by about 15 setae. Eyes of medium size. Pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum long and wide. Abdomen covered by 6 to 12 long setae per segment. Large mandibles, slightly curved at tip. Measurements (mm) of syntype and 94 soldiers from 32 colonies (parentheses): HLC: 1.79 (1.39-1.85); HLL: 2.02 (1.65-2.16); HW: 1.10 (1.13-1.53); PL: 0.56 (0.45-0.69); PW: 1.17 (0.86-1.24); RML: 1.22 (0.95-1.40); MPW: 0.51 (0.37-0.57); T3L: 1.35 (1.02-1.48).

Distribution.

(Fig. 93). This species occurs throughout New Guinean forests, or forested swamps (Roisin 1988b). It also occurs in Northern Australia (Gay and Barrett 1983), the Solomons, Santa Cruz, Fiji, Samoa, Ellice and Mariana Islands (Hill 1942) and Vanuatu (Roisin et al. 2011).