Neotermes sugioi Yashiro, 2019

Yashiro, Toshihisa, Takematsu, Yoko, Ogawa, Naoki & Matsuura, Kenji, 2019, Taxonomic assessment of the termite genus Neotermes (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) in the Ryukyu-Taiwan Island arc, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4604 (3), pp. 549-561 : 552-557

Neotermes sugioi Yashiro , sp. nov.

Japanese name: Sugio-shiroari

( Figs 3–17 )

Imago: Head capsule and pronotum reddish brown; abdominal tergites paler than head capsule; compound eyes black; ocelli translucent; mandibles blackish brown apically, paler posteriorly; antennae reddish brown basally, paler apically; labrum, postmentum, legs, and abdominal sternites pale yellowish brown; wing-scales and sclerotized veins brownish, remainder of wings brownish subhyaline.

Head capsule subquadrate, sides slightly broadening posteriorly, posterior margin convex in dorsal view; frons sloping gently anteriorly in lateral view; Y-suture distinct; fairly hairy with long and short setae on body. Compound eyes subcircular in lateral view; slightly protruding in dorsal view; situated very close to antennal bases. Ocelli oval in lateral view; slightly protruding in dorsal view; situated very close to compound eyes. Left mandible with 2 marginal teeth. Right mandible with 2 marginal teeth. Labrum subquadrate, sides convex, anterior margin substraight in dorsal view; with long setae anteriorly, long and short setae on body. Antennae with 17–20 articles, 1>2=3>4<5; fairly hairy with long and short setae. Postmentum suboctagonal, sides subparallel in ventral view; with long and short setae on margins and body.

Pronotum subrectangular, sides convex, anterior margin strongly concave, posterior margin faintly concave medially in dorsal view; fairly hairy with long and short setae on margins and body. Wing membrane non-tuberculate, with short setae on wing scales and along costal margins. Forewing subcosta meeting costa at about 2/5th of wing; radius meeting costa-subcosta at about middle; radial sector with 5 branches to costa-subcosta; media with 6–8 transverse veins to radial sector; area between media and cubitus reticulate; cubitus with 11–12 branches to posterior margin. Hindwing radius meeting costa-subcosta at about 2/3th of wing; radial sector with 4–5 branches to costa-subcosta; median originating from radial sector at about 1/3th of wing; cubitus with 10–11 branches. Legs with tibial spurs 3:3:3; tarsi 4-jointed; arolium present.

Soldier: Head capsule reddish brown, paler posteriorly; eye spots translucent; mandibles blackish brown apically, reddish brown basally; labrum yellowish to reddish brown; antennae reddish brown basally, paler apically; postmentum reddish brown, paler posteriorly; pronotum, legs, and abdomen yellowish white.

Head capsule subrectangular, sides subparallel, posterior margin weakly convex in dorsal view; frons sloping anteriorly toward clypeus at an angle of 25–40° in lateral view with shallow medial depression; Y-suture present, not distinct; sparsely hairy with long and short setae on body. Eye spots oval in lateral view; distinctly tuberculate; situated close to antennal bases. Left mandible robust; incurved apically; with 3 distinct marginal teeth; humped basally at outer margin. Right mandible robust; incurved apically; with 2 prominent marginal teeth; humped basally at outer margin. Labrum subquadrate, sides subparallel, anterior margin subparallel to posterior margin in dorsal view; with long setae anteriorly, long and short setae on body. Antennae with 13–17 articles, 1>2<3>4<5, 2>4; fairly hairy with long and short setae. Postmentum long, club-shaped in ventral view; with long and short setae on body.

Pronotum subrectangular, sides convex, anterior margin weakly concave, posterior margin substraight in dorsal view; fairly hairy with long and short setae on margins and body. Legs with tibial spurs 3:3:3; tarsi 4-jointed; arolium absent.

Type material. Holotype : ³ soldier (in alcohol), Chibana , Okinawa, Okinawa Island, Japan, 26°21’50”N, 127°48’39”E, 93 m, 24. iv. 2013, collected by T. Yashiro. Paratypes: 1³ 1♀ soldiers (in alcohol), same data as ho- lotype; 2³ 2♀ soldiers (dry-mounted), same data as holotype; 1³ 1♀ imagos (dry-mounted), 1³ 1♀ imagos, 1³ 1♀ soldiers, and 2 pseudergates (in alcohol), Chibana , Okinawa, Okinawa Island, Japan, 26°21’45”N, 127°48’38”E, 85 m, 24. iv. 2013 , collected by T. Yashiro ; 4³ 4♀ imagos, 4³ 4♀ soldiers, and 8 pseudergates (in alcohol), Katsur- enhaebaru, Uruma , Okinawa Island, Japan, 26°19’57”N, 127°52’35”E, 38 m, 2. vii. 2014 , collected by Y. Miya- guni; 2³ 2♀ imagos, 2³ 2♀ soldiers, and 4 pseudergates (in alcohol), Ogido , Kitanakagusuku , Nakagami, Okinawa Island, Japan, 26°17’35”N, 127°47’45”E, 134 m, 2. vii. 2014, collected by Y. Miyaguni ; 1³ 1♀ imagos, 1³ 1♀ soldiers, and 2 pseudergates (in alcohol), Okuma , Nakagusuku , Nakagami, Okinawa Island, Japan, 26°15’29”N, 127°47’03”E, 43 m, 1. vii. 2014, collected by Y. Miyaguni ; 1³ 1♀ imagos, 1³ 1♀ soldiers, and 2 pseudergates (in al- cohol), Tsuha , Nakagusuku , Nakagami, Okinawa Island, Japan, 26°14’51”N, 127°46’50”E, 34 m, 2. vii. 2014 , col- lected by Y. Miyaguni; 1³ 1♀ imagos, 1³ 1♀ soldiers, and 2 pseudergates (in alcohol), Iso , Urasoe, Okinawa Island, Japan, 26°15’27”N, 127°43’22”E, 77 m, 25. iv. 2013 , collected by T. Yashiro ; 1³ 1♀ imagos, 1³ 1♀ soldiers, and 2 pseudergates (in alcohol), Nakama , Urasoe, Okinawa Island, Japan, 26°15’09”N, 127°43’35”E, 116 m, 25. iv. 2013 , collected by T. Yashiro ; 2³ 2♀ imagos, 2³ 2♀ soldiers, and 4 pseudergates (in alcohol), Hirarahigashinakasonezoe , Miyakojima, Miyako Island, Japan, 24°47’57”N, 125°19’07”E, 52 m, 4. ii. 2014 , collected by T. Yashiro ; 2³ 2♀ imagos, 2³ 2♀ soldiers, and 4 pseudergates (in alcohol), Nosoko , Ishigaki, Ishigaki Island, Japan, 24°30’56”N, 124°15’26”E, 53 m, 28. vi. 2014, collected by Y. Miyaguni ; 2³ 2♀ imagos, 2³ 2♀ soldiers, and 4 pseudergates (in alcohol), Fukai , Ishigaki, Ishigaki Island, Japan, 24°27’17”N, 124°11’28”E, 30 m, 28. vi. 2014, collected by Y. Miyaguni ; 2³ 2♀ imagos, 2³ 2♀ soldiers, and 4 pseudergates (in alcohol), Tonoshiro , Ishigaki, Ishigaki Island, Japan, 24°22’50”N, 124°10’31”E, 99 m, 28. vi. 2014, collected by Y. Miyaguni ; 2³ 2♀ imagos, 2³ 2♀ soldiers, and 4 pseudergates (in alcohol), Komi , Taketomi , Yaeyama, Iriomote Island, Japan, 24°19’11”N, 123°54’39”E, 5 m, 27. vi. 2014, collected by Y. Miyaguni ; 2³ 2♀ imagos, 2³ 2♀ soldiers, and 4 pseudergates (in alcohol), Haimi , Take- tomi, Yaeyama, Iriomote Island, Japan, 24°16’23”N, 123°49’51”E, 40 m, 26. vi. 2014, collected by Y. Miyaguni ; 1³ 1♀ imagos, 1³ 1♀ soldiers, and 2 pseudergates (in alcohol), Mt. Inbidake , Yonaguni , Yaeyama, Yonaguni Island, Japan, 24°26’58”N, 122°59’57”E, 164 m, 16. iv. 2013 , collected by T. Yashiro ; 5³ 5♀ imagos, 5³ 5♀ soldiers, and 10 pseudergates (in alcohol), Yonaguni , Yonaguni , Yaeyama, Yonaguni Island, Japan, 24°26’44”N, 122°58’26”E, 34 m, 24. vi. 2014, collected by Y. Miyaguni ; 1³ 1♀ imagos, 1³ 1♀ soldiers, and 2 pseudergates (in alcohol), Yona- guni, Yonaguni , Yaeyama, Yonaguni Island, Japan, 24°27’23”N, 122°58’34”E, 102 m, 25. vi. 2014, collected by Y. Miyaguni.

Type-repository: The holotype (registration number B2324169) is deposited in the Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo, Japan. Paratypes are deposited in the Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo, Japan ; the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan ; and the Laboratory of Insect Ecology , Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan .

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Professor Koji Sugio, a Japanese entomologist and expert in the biology of this species.

Geographic distribution. Ryukyu Archipelago (Okinawa islands and Sakishima Islands), Japan ( Fig. 18 ).

Remarks. Neotermes sugioi forms a species complex with the allopatric species N. koshunensis but is distinguished from N. koshunensis in the soldier by having a proportionally narrower postmentum (PmW2/HW = 0.28–0.36 in N. sugioi , PmW2/HW = 0.38–0.40 in N. koshunensis ) ( Fig. 14 ). In imagos, overlapping wings of N. sugioi are almost always darker than that of N. koshunensis ( Fig. 3 ). In addition, N. sugioi is distinguished from those of other 18 East Asian Neotermes species in the soldier by having antennae where the fourth article is the shortest, having a wider head capsule (HW/HL = 0.65–0.76), or measurements ( Table 1 ) ( Huang et al. 2000; Tan & Peng 2009).

Figures

FIGURE 18. Map of collection sites for Neotermes sugioi sp. nov. and N. koshunensis in the Ryukyu–Taiwan Island arc. Each dot may indicate more than one site if they are located less than 20 km apart.

FIGURES 3–4. Neotermes sugioi sp. nov. (left) and N. koshunensis (right). 3, habitus of imagos, dorsal view; 4, habitus of soldiers, dorsal view. Scale bars, 2 mm.

FIGURES 5–6. Neotermes sugioi sp. nov. (left) and N. koshunensis (right). 5, left forewings of imagos, dorsal view; 6, left hindwings of imagos, dorsal view. Scale bars, 2 mm.

FIGURES 7–11. SEM images of imagos of Neotermes sugioi sp. nov. (left) and N. koshunensis (right). 7, head capsules, dorsal view; 8, head capsules, ventral view; 9, left mandibles, dorsal view; 10, right mandibles, dorsal view; 11, pronota, dorsal view. Pm, postmentum. Scale bars, 500 μm.

FIGURES 12–14. SEM images of soldiers of Neotermes sugioi sp. nov. (left) and N. koshunensis (right). 12, head capsules, dorsal view; 13, head capsules, lateral view; 14, head capsules, ventral view. Pm, postmentum. Scale bars, 500 μm.

FIGURES 15–17. SEM images of soldiers of Neotermes sugioi sp. nov. (left) and N. koshunensis (right). 15, left mandibles, dorsal view; 16, right mandibles, dorsal view; 17, pronota, dorsal view. Scale bars, 500 μm.

Tables

TABLE 1. Comparison of measurements of imagos and soldiers between Ryukyu and Taiwanese individuals of the Neotermes termites

Measurementa	Ryukyu individuals (n = 60)		Taiwanese individuals (n = 14)
	Range (mm)	Mean ± SD	Range (mm)	Mean ± SD
Imagos
HW	1.55–1.89	1.73 ± 0.08	1.59–1.79	1.68 ± 0.08
HL	1.50–1.72	1.60 ± 0.05	1.48–1.68	1.59 ± 0.07
ED	0.51–0.64	0.57 ± 0.03	0.54–0.64	0.58 ± 0.03
OD	0.16–0.25	0.19 ± 0.02	0.19–0.25	0.22 ± 0.02
LML	0.67–0.80	0.72 ± 0.03	0.66–0.76	0.70 ± 0.03
RML	0.59–0.68	0.63 ± 0.02	0.58–0.69	0.62 ± 0.03
LW	0.58–0.66	0.62 ± 0.02	0.55–0.64	0.60 ± 0.03
LL	0.50–0.59	0.54 ± 0.02	0.48–0.57	0.53 ± 0.03
PmW1	0.50–0.61	0.56 ± 0.02	0.53–0.61	0.58 ± 0.03
PmL	0.83–0.97	0.89 ± 0.03	0.83–0.95	0.90 ± 0.04
PnW	1.74–2.07	1.92 ± 0.09	1.76–2.14	1.97 ± 0.11
PnL	0.77–1.04	0.94 ± 0.05	0.87–1.04	0.95 ± 0.06
FWL	11.30–13.79	12.49 ± 0.58	11.30–13.71	12.82 ± 0.75
HWL	10.53–12.80	11.59 ± 0.58	10.68–12.63	11.83 ± 0.68
TL	1.35–1.78	1.50 ± 0.07	1.35–1.63	1.48 ± 0.07
Soldiers
HW	1.93–2.62	2.32 ± 0.13	2.06–2.41	2.23 ± 0.12
HL	2.88–3.80	3.35 ± 0.21	3.12–3.73	3.40 ± 0.23
HH	1.56–2.04	1.79 ± 0.11	1.62–1.95	1.79 ± 0.11
ESD	0.20–0.42	0.29 ± 0.04	0.11–0.34	0.25 ± 0.06
LML	1.70–2.13	1.95 ± 0.09	1.96–2.21	2.08 ± 0.08
RML	1.65–2.04	1.87 ± 0.09	1.90–2.14	2.00 ± 0.09
LW	0.50–0.60	0.54 ± 0.02	0.46–0.57	0.52 ± 0.03
LL	0.39–0.49	0.43 ± 0.02	0.40–0.50	0.45 ± 0.03
PmW2	0.65–0.82	0.75 ± 0.04	0.80–0.96	0.88 ± 0.05
PmW3	0.23–0.42	0.31 ± 0.04	0.31–0.42	0.37 ± 0.03
PmL	2.02–2.77	2.36 ± 0.16	2.21–2.88	2.46 ± 0.25
PnW	1.90–2.84	2.40 ± 0.19	2.11–2.76	2.36 ± 0.20
PnL	0.88–1.35	1.10 ± 0.10	0.90–1.21	1.07 ± 0.10
TL	1.46–1.88	1.65 ± 0.10	1.41–1.77	1.58 ± 0.12

See also Appendix 1 for ranges of measurements within males and females. a For abbreviations of measurements see Materials and methods.