Prorhinotermes inopinatus Silvestri, 1909

Bourguignon, Thomas & Roisin, Yves, 2011, Revision of the termite family Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera) in New Guinea, ZooKeys 148, pp. 55-103 : 80-81

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).