Termes Linnaeus, 1758

Krishna, Kumar & Grimaldi, David, 2009, Diverse Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae (Isoptera) in Dominican Amber, American Museum Novitates 2009 (3640), pp. 1-48 : 21-26

Genus Termes Linnaeus, 1758

The genus Termes is a circumtropical genus with a wide range of nesting habits. Of the 28 living species, nine have been recorded from the Neotropical Region, with four from the West Indies, only one of which is from Hispaniola (table 1). Termes fatalis , a living species from Surinam, was the first named termite, described by Linnaeus in 1758. One impression fossil species is known from the Oligocene of France, diagnosed on the basis of wing venation. The species described here, Termes primitivus , is the first amber fossil of this genus to be described and the first Termes fossil to be reported from the Dominican Republic.

Termes primitivus , new species

Figures 17 , 18 ; table 7

DIAGNOSIS: The imago of this new fossil species has a narrower head and pronotum

n. sp., AMNH DR10-1553. B. M. insulanus , n. sp., AMNH DR10-1526.

and larger eyes than the living species T. hispaniolae , the only species of Termes heretofore reported from Hispaniola.

DESCRIPTION: Imago: Head and pronotum dark brown; legs brown; wing scale brown, lighter than head. Head, postclypeus, and pronotum covered with a dense mat of short bristles and a few long ones; wing scale with several short bristles; wing membrane with a few hairs and pigmented punctations; femur and coxa densely covered with short hairs. Head longer than wide; posterior margin broadly concave. Eyes medium sized, circular. Ocelli oval, arched, very close to eyes. Fontanelle ovalish, with a faint slit in front. Postclypeus arched, with a faint median line; length about half its width (length to width index 0.49). Left mandible faintly visible; apical tooth long, about 0.13 mm from anterior margin of first marginal tooth, characteristic of the genus Termes . Antennae with 15 articles; third shortest; second subequal to fourth. Pronotum flat, narrower than head; anterior margin concave, lateral sides broadly rounded; posterior margin angular, emarginate. Forewing suture faintly arched. Forewing with costa thickly sclerotized; radius equally sclerotized, running parallel to costa; median weak, emerging separately from scale, running close to cubitus, unbranched, joining apical margin; cubitus weak; approximately 14–16 branches to lower margin. Hind wing, costa, and radius similar to forewing; median weak, arising from radius, outside of scale. Tibial spurs 3:2:2.

SPECIMENS: Holotype (imago) AMNH DR10- 1521 . Paratype (imago) AMNH DR10-1520 .

TABLE 6 Measurements (mm) of imagoes of two species of Microcerotermes

ETYMOLOGY: This new species is named after the Latin primitivus , ‘‘first’’, earliest of its kind.

SUBFAMILY NASUTITERMITINAE Hare, 1937 Genus Atlantitermes Fontes, 1979

The genus Atlantitermes was first described by Fontes in 1979 for three new species and later expanded ( Fontes, 1982) to include five species previously included in the genus Subulitermes . As this exclusively Neotropical genus is comprised today, only one living species of the eight is reported from the West Indies, which is actually from the subcontinental island of Trinidad (table 1). Like Subulitermes , the Atlantitermes species are tropical soil dwellers, feeding on soil rich in humus. No fossil species of this genus has been hitherto reported. The three new fossil species described here are the first record of this genus, living or fossil, from Hispaniola.

Atlantitermes antillea , new species

Figures 19 , 20 ; table 8

DIAGNOSIS: Atlantitermes antillea is close to A. caribea , n. sp., but differs from it in having a wider head and pronotum, smaller eyes and ocelli, and a shorter fontanelle.

DESCRIPTION: Imago: Head and pronotum chestnut brown; postclypeus brown, lighter than head; antennae brown; wings brownish, membrane clear. Head and pronotum sparsely covered with short setae; anterior margin of forewing with a row of short setae; wing membrane with dotlike punctations. Head longer than wide. Eyes medium-sized, round, bulging. Ocelli large, oval, very close (0.01 mm) to eyes. Fontanelle ovalish, extend- ed as a faint line in front; located between eyes, 0.28 mm from posterior margin of head. Postclypeus arched; length less than half its width (length to width index 0.42); with a median line. Antennae with 15 articles; third shortest; second subequal to fourth. Pronotum narrower than head; anterior margin almost straight; lateral margains angular posteriorly; posterior margin almost straight.

SPECIMEN: Holotype (imago) AMNH DR10- 1543 .

ETYMOLOGY: This new species name is derived from Antilles, another name for the Caribbean Islands.

Atlantitermes caribea , new species

Figures 19 , 20 ; table 8

DIAGNOSIS: Atlantitermes caribea is close to A. antillea , n. sp., but differs from it in having a narrower head and pronotum, larger eyes and ocelli, and a longer fontanelle.

DESCRIPTION: Imago: Head and pronotum brown; postclypeus brown, lighter than head; antennae yellowish brown; wings brownish, membrane clear. Head densely covered with short setae; pronotum densely covered with short setae, longer setae along margins; anterior margin of forewing with a row of short setae; wing membrane with dotlike punctations. Head longer than wide. Eyes medium-sized, roundish, bulging. Ocelli large, oval, long, almost touching (0.03 mm) eyes. Fontanelle long, ovalish, located between eyes, 0.28 mm from posterior margin of head. Postclypeus arched, with a faint median line; length less than half its width (length to width index 0.43). Antennae with 15 articles; third shortest; second subequal to fourth. Pronotum narrower than head; anterior margin concave; posterolateral corners broadly rounded; posterior margin distinctly emarginate.

TABLE 7 Measurements (mm) of imago of Termes primitivus , new species

Holotype

Length of head to tip of labrum 1.04 Length of head to postclypeus 0.57 Width of head with eyes 0.87 Diameter of eye 0.30 Eye from lower margin — Length of ocellus 0.10 Length of postclypeus 0.20 Width of postclypeus 0.41 Maximum length of pronotum 0.56 Width of pronotum 0.76 Length of hind tibia 0.84 Length of forewing scale 0.36 Length of forewing from suture — Width of forewing 1.33

SPECIMENS: Holotype (imago) AMNH DR10-1555 .

ETYMOLOGY: This new species name is from the stem of Caribbean, in reference to the extralimital occurrence of the fossil species in this area.

Atlantitermes magnoculus , new species

Figures 19 , 20 ; table 8

DIAGNOSIS: Atlantitermes magnoculus differs from all other fossil species of Atlantitermes in being much larger in all respects, notably the head, pronotum, and eyes. In eye size, fontanelle shape, and overall appearance it is close to the living species A. osborni Emerson , from Guyana.

DESCRIPTION: Imago: Head brown; pronotum brownish; postclypeus brownish, lighter than head; wings brownish, membrane clear. Head densely covered with short setae; pronotum densely covered with short setae, longer setae along margins; anterior margin of forewing with a row of short setae; wing membrane with dotlike punctations. Head (partially damaged in preservation) longer than wide. Eyes very large, oval, bulging. Ocelli large, oval, touching eyes. Fontanelle damaged, apparently narrow, slitlike, forked at tip; located between eyes, about 0.38 mm from posterior margin of head. Postclypeus arched; length less than half its width (length to width index 0.35); median line not visible. Left mandible dentition visible, Atlantitermes - type ( Fontes, 1979). Antennae with 15 articles; second article equal to third; fourth subequal to second and third. Pronotum narrower than head; anterior margin faintly concave; lateral margins angular posteriorly; posterior margin faintly emarginate.

SPECIMEN: Holotype (imago) AMNH DR- 10-1259 .

ETYMOLOGY: This new species name is a combination of the root of the Latin magnus, ‘‘large’’, and oculus, ‘‘eye’’.

Figures

Fig. 17. Photomicrographs of A. Termes primitivus, n. sp., AMNH DR 10-1521 (paratype). B. Subulitermes insularis, n. sp., in Dominican amber, AMNH DR8-332 (holotype).

Fig. 18. Head and pronotum of Termes primitivus, n. sp., in Dominican amber, AMNH DR10- 1521.

Fig. 19. Photomicrographs of Atlantitermes spp. in Dominican amber; all are holotypes. A. A. antillea, n. sp., AMNH DR10-1543. B. A. caribea, n. sp., AMNH DR10-1555. C. A. magnoculus, n. sp., AMNH DR10- 1259.

Fig. 20. Heads and pronota of Atlantitermes spp. in Dominican amber. A. A. antillea, n. sp. (reconstructed), AMNH DR10-1543. B. Detail of mandibles of A. antillea, n. sp., as observed through labrum, AMNH DR10-1543. C. A. caribea, n. sp., AMNH DR10-1555 (slightly oblique view). D. A. magnoculus, n. sp., AMNH DR10-1259.