Ruptitermes bandeirai, Acioli, Agno Nonato Serrão & Constantino, Reginaldo, 2015

Acioli, Agno Nonato Serrão & Constantino, Reginaldo, 2015, A taxonomic revision of the neotropical termite genus Ruptitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitinae), Zootaxa 4032 (5), pp. 451-492 : 462

Ruptitermes bandeirai , new species

Holotype: worker from lot MZSP-11749.

Type-locality: BRAZIL: Alagoas: Quebrangulo, Rebio de Serra Talhada (lat 9.2412S long 36.4232W)

Type-repository: MZSP.

Paratypes: BRAZIL: Alagoas: Quebrangulo, Rebio de Serra Talhada, 21.vi.2000, A. Vasconcellos col., workers (MZSP-11749). Pernambuco: Recife, Horto Dois Irmãos, 04.vii.2000, A. Vasconcellos col., workers (MZSP-11750).

Etymology. Named in honor of Prof. Adelmar G. Bandeira, for his important contribution to the study of neotropical termites, especially in Brazilian Amazonia and in the Caatinga region of Northeastern Brazil. Prof. Bandeira retired in 2011.

Imago. Unknown.

Worker ( Figs. 6 , 22 D, 23H–I, 24G). Head capsule rounded, relatively small, yellow, with many long bristles. Postclypeus large and inflated, about the same color as head capsule. Fontanelle inconspicuous. Left mandible: A and M1 about the same length; M3 well developed; deep notch between M1 and M3; cutting edge between M1 and notch curved; molar tooth partially visible in the gap between M3 and molar prominence. Right mandible: A and M1 about the same length; M2 well developed, shorter than M1; molar plate large and concave, without ridges. Procoxa without spine-like bristles. Protibia short and inflated, with two irregular rows of spine-like bristles along inner margin. Thorax, legs, and abdomen yellowish; tergites and sternites hyaline; gut easily visible through the body wall. Dehiscent glands conspicuous, filling about 1/5 of the abdomen. Mixed segment very short. Seating of enteric valve rounded, without diverticula (23H–I). Enteric valve with two distinct types of ridges; ridges of type 1 end in a row of long spines extending into P3; ridges of type 2 are restricted to the lumen of the valve and lack the long spines on posterior end; both types have a distinct spine near anterior end and are reticulated with large and conspicuous tetragonal or pentagonal cells ( Fig. 24 G). Measurements in Table 2 .

Comparisons. The worker of R. bandeirai is easily recognized by their small size, the yellow and relatively small head, short and inflated protibia, the procoxa without spine-like bristles and the unsclerotized body. They are so distinct that can be recognized as member of genus Ruptitermes only by the presence of the conspicuous dehiscent gland.

Distribution. Known only from two sites within the northern portion of the Brazilian Atlantic forest ( Fig. 27 ).

Remarks. This seems to be the most basal species of Ruptitermes , with Anoplotermes -like mandibles, small size and inflated protibia.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Worker of Ruptitermes bandeirai, sp. n. A, habitus; B, protibia; C, procoxae; D, head in profile; E, head in dorsal view; F, mandibles.

FIGURE 22. Worker heads of Ruptitermes, showing pilosity. All figures in the same scale.

FIGURE 24. Enteric valve armature of workers of Ruptitermes. A, R. araujoi; B – D, R. arboreus; E – F, R. atyra; G, R. bandeirai; H – I, R. cangua; J – K, R. franciscoi. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 27. Geographic range of Ruptitermes bandeirai, sp. n., R. cangua, sp. n., R. franciscoi (Snyder 1959), new combination, R. kaapora, sp. n., and Ruptitermes krishnai, sp. n.