Amitermes californicus Banks, 1920

Scheffrahn, Rudolf H., 2022, Amitermes californicus Banks, 1920 (Isoptera, Termitidae, Termitinae) resurrected after ninety years of synonymy and A. floridensis Scheffrahn, 1989 synonymized into A. wheeleri (Desneux, 1906), Zootaxa 5128 (4), pp. 581-588 : 582-585

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5128.4.7
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:65CF7D76-B932-4AAF-A93D-E0E2E33AD06D
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6501599
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039E5D69-D904-FFFE-FF1A-5127678C1187
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Amitermes californicus Banks, 1920
status

Treatment

Amitermes californicus Banks, 1920 View in CoL —revalidated name

Banks 1920: soldier described and figured; 61 fig. 2, 62, fig. 2.

Light 1930a: soldier, worker described and figured; 179, 184–187, 185, figs. L–O; pl. 11, fig. 1; pl. 12 figs. 1, 6; pl. 13, figs. 1, 5. Light 1930b: soldier mandibles figured; 231 fig. 3.

Light 1931: 9; synonymized with A. wheeleri .

Light 1932: soldier figured, 363; synonymized with A. wheeleri .

Light 1934: soldier figured; 202 fig. d, g.

Weesner 1965: soldier figured; 61 fig. 19E.

Scheffrahn et al. 1983: soldier figured; 1297 fig. 1.

Scheffrahn et al. 1986a: soldier figured,662 fig. 1 (left).

Scheffrahn et al. 1986b: defensive secretion.

Nickle & Collins 1988: soldier, worker figured; pl. 7 fig G–H.

Krishna et al. 2013: 2061.

Imago. Unknown.

Soldier. ( Figs. 2A, B View FIGURE 2 ; 3A View FIGURE 3 ). The descriptions by Banks (1920) and Light (1930a) are complimentary but lacking the following additional characters: In dorsal view, head capsule orange yellow; if full of secretion, cephalic gland light yellow; occupying about half of head capsule area. Fontanelle forms narrow arch in middle of frons, surrounded by dense mat of long setae. Labrum conical, well delineated from postclypeus. Mandibles dark reddish brown from tips of blades to marginal teeth, bases massive with weak lateral humps. Blades broad beyond marginal teeth, then narrowing and curving evenly to tips. Marginal teeth large, subtriangular, and blunt. In lateral view, head capsule ovoid, bulbus; submentum projecting, parallel with ventral margin of head capsule. Dorsal margin with dozens of long setae; denser around fontanelle. Anterior margin of fontanelle forming shallow crease on frons. Anterior lobe of pronotum slightly longer than posterior lobe; pronotum margins with long setae.

Measurements. Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 and Table 1 View TABLE 1 .

Diagnosis. Among Nearctic Amitermes , the soldier of A. californicus most closely resembles that of A. wheeleri (= floridensis ). The mandible bases, blades, and marginal teeth of A. californicus are larger and stouter in all respect than those of A. wheeleri (= floridensis ) ( Figs 2–5 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 , Table 1 View TABLE 1 ). The soldier of A. californicus is somewhat larger and has a more quadrate head capsule than that of A. wheeleri (= floridensis ).

Worker. The description by Light (1930a) is adequate but lacking the following additional characters: The second proctodeal segment (P2) very narrow and tubular; seating consists of circular flare connecting to the third proctodeal segment. Enteric valve armature ( Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 ) with six cushions extending length of P2; posterior ends of cushion consisting of ovoid patches of pointy scales varying in number from about 25 to about eight. The cushion with the most posterior scales has a string of single scales extending to its anterior where scales divide into two or three strings. Other cushions lack a string, but their anterior terminations have scale strings or scale patches. The cushion with the least number of scales is always opposite that with the greatest.

Diagnosis. The workers of A. californicus and A wheeleri can only be separated by the former’s larger size and longer EVA ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ).

Material Examined. Supplementary Table S1 View TABLE 1 .