Termitozophilus Silvestri, 1901

Zilberman, Bruno, 2019, Synopsis of the genus Termitozophilus Silvestri (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae, Corotocini), Zootaxa 4614 (1), pp. 95-116 : 96

Termitozophilus Silvestri, 1901

Termitozophilus Silvestri, 1901: 7 (description, type species: Termitozophilus laetus Silvestri, 1901 ); Seevers, 1957: 65 (redescription); Campbell, 1973: 92 (characters in key); Jacobson et al., 1986: 18 (redescription).

Corymbogaster Mann, 1923: 346 (description, type species: Corymbogaster miranda Mann, 1923 ) [synonymized by Borgmeier, 1950: 638, 640].

Body moderated physogastric, partially sclerotized; chitinous portion light to dark brown; narrow basal band of pronotum black and lateral margins of sclerites dark-brown. Sclerotized areas with spine-like bristles, moderately dense and with moderate to long sizes.

Head. Elongate to subquadrate (figs. 6, 7, 27, 28, 37, 38, 55–58); gula subtriangular, widest at base, fused to mentum; foramen magnum short, occupying ½ of head width, with posterior sclerotized extensions present; dorsal surface mostly smooth and with a V-shaped strong impression in front, between the eyes. Antennae with 11 antennomeres (figs. 8, 39, 58–60). Mouthparts. Labrum more than twice wider than long; five main long bristles on each side, distributed in two pairs in a diagonal row (D2 - D1/ M2 - M1) and P1 with variable position; epiphrarynx covered with pores and small setae (figs. 12, 43, 61, 62). Mandibles. Symmetrical, internal margin with a mesal wide tooth (figs. 13, 44, 45). Maxillae: stipes almost as wide as long, with a long bristle at apex, close to first palpomere and four short bristles close to galea; galea subquadrate to elongate, covered with bristles of varied lengths at margins; lacinia narrow, as long as galea; surface scarcely covered with moderate long bristles; maxillary palpi densely setose and with four palpomeres with variable level of sclerotization: palpomere I short and subquadrate, and II–IV elongate; only palpomeres II and III covered with long bristles (figs. 11, 42). Labium. Prementum with labial palpi setose, 3-articulated; palpomeres I and II subquadrate; last elongate and narrow; ligula narrow at base and with apex round or bifid (figs. 10, 41); mentum and submentum distinct or not; bristles preapical (pa) and proximal (px) always present and apical (ap) with presence variable. Bristle pre-apical long, and proximal short or moderate in size (figs. 9, 40, 63, 64).

Thorax. Prothorax. Pronotum almost as wide as long, wider at anterior region, and slightly narrowed posteriorly; discal area shiny and convex, covered with long bristles (figs. 2, 4, 25A, 30, 34). Mesothorax. Mesonotum slightly shorter than metanotum. Mesosternum without carina and fused to metasternum. Metathorax. Metanotum: endosternite without extended articulating process, procoxal insertions close to each other; bristles covering all posterior region (figs. 14, 15, 46, 47). Legs. Well-developed, elongate and slender (figs. 1, 3, 24A, 29, 32). Scutellum slightly larger than long. Elytra trapezoidal or subquadrate, covering meso- and metatorax; surface covered with long bristles (figs. 16, 25, 48). Hind wings present or absent.

Abdomen expanded laterally, tergites and sternite with secondary sclerotization, varying in degree and size; inner and outer paratergites fusioned to a single sclerite by secondary sclerotization; each inner and outer paratergite with two rows of three to six bristles (figs. 1–4, 24A, 25A–B, 26A–B, 29–31); tergite I represented by a sclerotized sclerite attached to metanotum, with medial region projected backwards (figs. 15, 47); segments II-X each with tergite and sternite complete, except in female which sternite IX is absent; tergite VIII from slightly subquadrate to about twice as wide as long, with two rows of six main long bristles, one in medial and other in apical region; short bristles cover whole surface (figs. 17, 49); sternite VIII about three times wider than long, covered by short bristles, with six long bristles distributed symmetrically on apical margin, three on each side of sternite; bristles in a transversal row at median region also present (figs. 18, 50); sternite IX in male in one piece of irregular shape, moderated sclerotized, with two bristles on apical region (fig. 23); in female, sternite IX is presented as a pair of hemiesternite laterally attatched to tergite IX (fig. 51); tergite IX bilobed, each lobe with five to six long bristles (figs. 51, 19); tergite X not bilobed, with three long bristles each side and two at medial region (figs. 19, 51). Aedeagus: lateral lobes broad in general aspect; median lobe bulbous and slighter shorter than lateral lobes (figs. 21, 22, 53, 54). Spermatheca with capsule large and sclerotized (figs. 20, 52).