Rinacapritermes abundans Amina & Rajmohana, 2022

Amina, Poovoli, Rajmohana, Keloth, Dinesh, K. P. & Asha, Gopalan, 2022, Integrative taxonomic studies on Rinacapritermes Amina & Rajmohana, n. gen. (Blattodea: Isoptera: Termitidae) with two new species from India, Zoosystema 44 (3), pp. 109-124 : 114-118

Rinacapritermes abundans Amina & Rajmohana , n. sp.

( Figs 2 ; 7C ; Table 2)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:976E00D3-6BC8-4B67-83A3-90778E454A45

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype (soldier). India • Kerala, Kottayam ( Changanasseri- Kadamanchira ); 9°35’29”N, 76°31’19”E; 13.III.2015; Amina Poovoli leg.; Colony code: ZSI/WGRC/IR/INV/4612.

Paratypes. India • 10 workers, 6 soldiers; with same data as for holotype • 4 soldiers, 10 workers; Kerala, Kozhikode (Balussery- Narayamkulam ); 11°30’14”N, 75°48’58”E; 2.I.2015; Amina Poovoli leg.; Colony code: ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV/4613 • 4 soldiers, 8 workers; Kerala, Wayanad ( Vythiri ); 11°33’6”N, 76°2’25”E; 1.VIII.2015; Shilimol; Colony code: ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV/4944 • 3 soldiers, 5 workers; Kerala, Wayanad ( Thalappuzha ); 11°50’25”N, 75°56’57”E; 29.VII.2015; Shilimol; Colony code: ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV/4945.

Sequenced specimens. Same as paratypes .

ETYMOLOGY. — The species epithet name is derived from the latin term ‘abundans’ meaning abundant, as the population of the new species is seen to be abundant across the known range of distribution.

DNA BARCODE. — Rinacapritermes abundans Amina & Rajmohana, n. gen., n. sp. is a member of the larger ‘ Rinacapritermes clade’ showing sister relationship with Rinacapritermes silvius Amina & Rajmohana , n. gen., n. sp. exhibiting medium to high genetic divergence of 7.3% to 8.3% for COI gene ( Fig. 4 ). Both species can easily be distinguished morphologically (see key below) and the type localities of both species are isolated in range of distribution ( Fig. 5 ).

DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA. — Could be a narrow-range endemic species, known from central as well as southern Western Ghats of Kerala (Wayanad, Kozhikode and Kottayam).

DESCRIPTION

Imago

Not known

Soldier ( Fig. 2 ; Table 2).

Monomorphic. Head capsule yellow; fontanelle gland area pale yellow; antennae paler brown; labrum translucent; left mandible blackish brown; right mandible reddish brown; legs and body whitish yellow.

Head capsule. Moderately hairy with many long and a few short hairs. Antennal segments with long and short hairs on entire surface; labrum with a few hairs on anterior part; postmentum with a very few hairs on entire surface. Anterior margin of pronotum with 5-8 long hairs. Body densely hairy with long hairs; legs covered with long hairs, more concentrated at last tarsal segments.

Head subrectangular. Sides substraight; posterior margin rounded. Frons sharply inclining in front; median suture of head very short, only at posterior margin of head capsule; fontanelle transverse, situated anteriorly at distal 1/5 of head; fontanelle gland large, extending beyond middle of head. Antenna 15 segmented; segment 2 longer than 3; segment 4 shorter than 2 and slightly longer than 3; segment 3 shortest; 5-10 gradually increasing in length and remaining segments subequal. Labrum slightly asymmetrical; anterior margin substraight with broad based, robust and long antero-lateral points. Mandibles strongly asymmetrical; left mandible strongly twisted at middle; with blunt apex. Right mandible blade-like with sharp, pointed apex, facing upward; inner margin of right mandible incurved at middle region; apical blade substraight. Postmentum club-shaped; with a narrow waist lying posteriorly.

Pronotum. Saddle-shaped, anterior and posterior margin without any notch. Legs with 3:2:2 apical tibial spurs. Abdomen oblong; cerci short; 2 segmented.

Worker (n = 5)

Monomorphic. Head capsule, antennae whitish yellow; postclypeus pale brown, thorax and legs paler than head; abdomen translucent with intestinal contents showing through. Head capsule moderately hairy with many long and short hairs, post clypeus with long hairs and body sparsely hairy with a few long hairs and very short hairs. Total body length 3.70-4.20 mm.

Head capsule. Length to tip of labrum 1.17-1.21 mm, length to base of mandible 0.75-0.79 mm and maximum width 0.92- 0.95 mm; width of head capsule widest at base of mandibles. Epicranial suture slightly distinct; fontanelle plate translucent and oval. Antennae with 15 segments, segment 2 longer than 3 and 4; segment 3 shortest. Postclypeus swollen; almost straight anteriorly and rounded posteriorly; length less than half of width (length 0.20-0.224; width 0. 46-0.48 mm).

Mandible ( Fig. 2F ). As for genus.

Digestive tube. As for genus.

Pronotum. Saddle-shaped (length 0.22-0.24 mm; width 0.47-0.50 mm); anterior and posterior lobe without notch. Legs with 3:2:2 apical tibial spurs; dorsal spur of foretibia indistinct; foretibia somewhat swollen.

REMARKS

In R. abundans Amina & Rajmohana , n. gen., n. sp., all soldiers are with apical tibial spur 3:2:2. In workers the dorsal spur is sometimes indistinct.

R. silviu s Amina & Rajmohana, n. gen., n. sp. is comparatively a larger species than R. abundans Amina & Rajmohana , n. gen., n. sp. In addition to the keyed characters, they can be differentiated also by the following features. In R. silvius Amina & Rajmohana , n. gen., n. sp. soldiers, the median suture is present a little above the posterior part of the head capsule and workers have 14-15 antennal segments. But in R. abundans Amina & Rajmohana , n. gen., n. sp. soldiers, the median suture is seen only at a very basal region of the head capsule and workers have 15 segmented antennae.

Figures

FIG. 2. — Rinacapritermes abundans Amina & Rajmohana,n. gen., n. sp.: A, soldier body dorsal view; B, soldier head dorsal view; C, soldier head profile; D, soldier’s labrum; E, soldier’s Postmentum; F, worker left and right mandible. Scale bars: A, 0.5 mm; B, F, 0.3 mm; C, 0.2 mm; D, E, 0.1 mm.

FIG. 7. — A, pronotum of Rinacapritermes silvius Amina & Rajmohana,n. gen.,n. sp. soldier; B, pronotum of Indocapritermes aruni Chhotani,1997 soldier C, mandible of Rinacapritermes abundans Amina & Rajmohana, n. gen., n. sp. soldier D, mandible of Indocapritermes aruni soldier. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

FIG. 4. — Maximum likelihood tree based on 663 bp of mitochondrial COI gene (*represents the bootstrap values above 50%).

FIG. 5. — Distribution map of Rinacapritermes Amina & Rajmohana, n. gen. species.