Schedorhinotermes seclusus (Hill, 1933)

Bourguignon, Thomas & Roisin, Yves, 2011, Revision of the termite family Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera) in New Guinea, ZooKeys 148, pp. 55-103 : 70-72

Schedorhinotermes seclusus (Hill, 1933) Figs 56-6182

Rhinotermes ( Schedorhinotermes ) intermedius seclusus Hill 1933: 5.

Schedorhinotermes intermedius seclusus (Hill). Snyder 1949: 92.

Schedorhinotermes seclusus (Hill). Watson et al. 1998: 197.

Material examined.

Lectotype:AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Babinda, 06.i.1925 (G.F. Hill) (NMVA #T-10854). Other material: PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Southern Highlands: Lake Kutubu, 13.x.1988 (YR) (#PNGT1295); Fly: Morehead, 25.iii.1989 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1438); Morehead, 26.iii.1989 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1453); Wipim, 15.viii.1962 (R. Zweifel), witth nymphs (AMNH); Wipim, 30.iii.1989 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1480, 1482); Wipim, 31.iii.1989 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1495); Wipim, 01.iv.1989 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1504); Lake Murray, 22.v.1990 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1558, 1559, 1560); Lake Murray, 23.v.1990 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1573, 1576); Lake Murray, 24.v.1990 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1579); Lake Murray, 25.v.1990 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1596); Lake Murray, 27.v.1990 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1604); Nomad, 31.v.1990 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1633).

Imago.

Unknown.

Major soldier.

(Figs 56, 58-59) Soldiers of large size. Head covered by about 30 setae. Labrum short and large, not reaching the tip of mandibles. Antennae generally with 17 articles, sometimes with 16 or 18 articles. Pronotum large, covered by about 15 setae principally situated on the edges. Abdomen densely hairy, with 20 to 40 setae per segment. Mandibles moderately curved. Left mandible with the first subsidiary tooth shorter than the second and with a small hump at the base. Right mandible with a slight hump at the base. Measurements (mm) of 1 major soldier from the type colony and 30 major soldiers from 10 colonies (parentheses): HLC: 2.07 (1.82-2.33); HLL: 2.52 (2.24-2.74); HW: 1.96 (1.69-2.05); PW: 1.27 (1.08-1.42); RML: 1.27 (1.00-1.36); mPW: 0.36 (0.22-0.38); T3L: 1.76 (1.43-1.73).

Minor soldier.

(Figs 57, 60-61). Soldiers of large size. Head covered by about 15 setae. Labrum 1.5 times longer than wide, reaching the tip of mandibles. Antennae with 16 articles. Pronotum of large size with about 10 setae on the edges. Abdomen abundantly hairy, with 10 to 15 setae per segment. Large mandibles strongly curved. Measurements (mm) of 1 minor soldier from the type colony and 10 minor soldiers from 10 colonies (parentheses): HLC: 1.11 (1.10-1.41); HLL: 1.52 (1.59-1.97); HW: 0.86 (0.95-1.19); PL: 0.44 (0.38-0.48); PW: 0.66 (0.68-0.86); RML: 0.75 (0.79-0.97); MPW: 0.35 (0.34-0.39); T3L: 1.09 (1.01-1.32).

Comparisons.

This species is easily distinguishable from others by its large size and its densely hairy abdomen in the minor and major soldier castes. Minor soldiers are highly variable in size, indicating the likely presence of two developmental subcategories ( Miller 1987).

Distribution.

(Fig. 82). This species is widespread throughout southern Papua New Guinea. It is also known from Queensland, Australia.

Termitophiles.

Three species of Trichopseniini ( Coleoptera , Staphylinidae , Aleocharinae ) were reported by Bourguignon et al. (2007): Schedolimulus seclusi , Schedolimulus planus and Papuapsenius magnus .