Incisitermes peritus, Engel & Krishna, 2007

Engel, Michael S. & Krishna, K., 2007, Drywood termites in Dominican amber (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 57 (2), pp. 263-275 : 264-265

Incisitermes peritus , sp. n. ( Fig. 1 )

Diagnosis:

The new species is most similar to I. krishnaikrishnai in Mexican amber (see appendix) but can be distinguished by the less transverse postclypeus (length/width in the new species 0.13/0.45 versus 0.06/ 0.52 in I. krishnai ); the longer forewings (6.78-7.07 mm in the new species versus 5.85- 5.60 mm in I. krishnai ); the shorter head length (as measured from posterior margin to apical margin of the postclypeus 0.86-1.07 mm in the new species versus 1.22 mm in I. krishnai ); the sparse setae of the head; indistinct Y-shaped coronal ecdysial cleavage line; second and third antennal articles each longer than fourth (second and third subequal to fourth in I. krishnai ); and CuA with fewer primary branches.

Description:

Imago. Head dark brown, pronotum brown (distinctly lighter than head), integument imbricate; antennae and legs brown. Head and pronotum very sparsely setose, nearly bare, setae fine and short, pronotum with a few long, fine setae on lateral margins; costal margin of wing scale with a few, short, fine setae, surface of scale nearly bare. Lateral margins of head subparallel, posterior margin evenly rounded; Y-shaped coronal ecdysial cleavage line not distinct; compound eye rounded, small, in lateral aspect well separated from posterior border of head, separated by distance more than compound eye length; ocellus oval, touching compound eye; anteclypeus subtrapezoidal, apical margin straight; postclypeus not demarcated; antenna with 16-17 articles; first article longest; second and third articles approximately equal in size, cylindrical, each longer than fourth article; remaining articles bead-like (as determined from the right antenna, the left antenna has some basal compression and distortion such that the basal articles appear differently proportioned). Pronotum wider than head, including compound eyes; anterior margin concave; lateral margins subparallel, faintly curved; posterolateral corners rounded, posterior margin relatively straight, medially faintly concave. Tibial spur formula 3-3-3; arolium present. Forewing membrane hyaline, densely nodulose, nodules not pigmented; Rs with 5-6 branches; M running approximately equidistant from Rs and CuA; CuA with 7-8 primary branches.

Holotype:

Imago ( Fig. 1 ), DR-8-340, Early Miocene (Burdigalian) amber, Dominican Republic (specific mine unknown).

Paratypes:

Four paratype imagoes, DR-10-1558, DR-10-1531, DR-2-22, and PB-273, Early Miocene (Burdigalian) amber, Dominican Republic (specific mine unknown). All specimens deposited in the Amber Fossil Collection, Division of Invertebrate Zoology , American Museum of Natural History, New York .

Etymology:

The specific epithet is based on the Latin term peritus , meaning “perished”.

Figures

Figs 1-3: Photomicrographs of genera of Dominican amber Kalotermitidae (Isoptera). – 1 Holotype imago of Incisitermes peritusperitus sp. n. (DR-8-340). – 2 Holotype imago of Cryptotermes glaesariusglaesarius sp. n. (AMNH, no acc. no.). – 3 Holotype imago of Glyptotermes paleoliberatuspaleoliberatus sp. n. (DR-14-647).