Neotermitosocius Kanao, Eldredge & Maruyama

Kanao, Taisuke, Eldredge, K. Taro & Maruyama, Munetoshi, 2012, Two new genera and species of the termite symbiont lineage Termitohospitini (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae) from Bolivia and peninsular Malaysia, ZooKeys 254, pp. 67-87 : 68-72

Neotermitosocius Kanao, Eldredge & Maruyama gen. n.

Type species:

Neotermitosocius bolivianus sp. n.

Diagnosis.

This monotypic genus is distinguishable from other Termitohospitini by its slender parallel-sided body, longer legs and apically truncate pronotum, which dorsally exposes much of the head (Fig. 1).

Description.

Overall shape (Fig. 1) parallel-sided and somewhat dorsoventrally flattened. Posterior one-fifth of head covered by pronotum (Fig. 1).

Head (Fig. 3) transverse, widest at eyes. Antennal fossae deep, partially dorsally obscured by vertex. Eyes large and produced anterolaterally. Antennae (Fig. 4) with 11 articles; antennal articles compact and article pedicles scarcely visible externally; antennomeres I and XI longest; antennomere I partially obscured by enlarged antennal fossae; antennomere II approximately three times longer than wide, dilated at apex, narrower than other articles; antennomere III trapezoidal, apex twice as wide as base; antennomere IV trapezoidal, slightly shorter than antennomere III; antennomere V–X successively widening distally; antennomere XI narrowed apically. Labrum (Fig. 5) transverse, with pores at middle, anterior margin of membranous area concave; epipharynx (Fig. 5) relatively smooth, midline with pores from apex to middle. Mandibles (Figs 6-7) almost symmetrical, apex acute, dorsally covered with numerous pores, with anterior one-fifth curved adorally, moderately developed tooth present at middle of adoral margin, base of scrobe strongly laterally developed. Right mandible (Fig. 7) apex slightly more acute. Maxillary (Fig. 8) lacinia elongate, adorally with 11 strong setae; apical three setae shortest, preceding basal three setae with cuticular processes (spinose scale of Ahn and Ashe 2004) on either side of base; galea as long as lacinia, slightly dilated apically, apex densely setulate; palpus with 4 articles; article I trapezoidal; article II oval, narrowed at base; article III approximately twice as long as article II, more than three times longer than wide, widest at middle, sparsely covered with long setae, sensory patch near middle of lateral surface; article IV narrow and parallel-sided, approximately one-fourth as wide as apical margin of article III; pseudosegment poorly delimited and inconspicuous. Mentum (Fig. 9) trapezoidal, sparsely covered with setae and small pseudopores; anterior margin bisinuate, with a pair of long setae at middle; anterolateral corners produced and with 2 long setae; posterior margin almost straight. Labial palpus (Fig. 10) with 3 articles, first article a fusion of I + II; article I + II with a seta (probably homologous with seta h of Sawada [1972]) at outer medial margin, twin and medial pores present; article III half as long as article I, with a pore at anterolateral corner; ligula triangular with posterior half sclerotized; prementum wider than long, disc with a pair of setal pores and two pair of real pores present; apodemes broad and longer than disc, dilated posteriorly with apices recurved internally and almost touching.

Pronotum (Fig. 11) transverse, widest near middle; anterior margin broadly concave; posterior margin slightly rounded. Prosternum reduced in length. Elytra (Fig. 12) subquadrate, longer than wide with lateral margin deflexed. Wings fully developed. Mesoventrite (Fig. 13) short, approximately half as long as metaventrite; mesoventral process developed posteriorly and carinate; mesocoxal cavity narrowly separated and marginal bead complete. Legs (Figs 14-16) overall slender; tarsal formula 4-4-5; tarsomeres slender and parallel-sided. Fore leg (Fig. 14) with coxa subequal in length to femur; trochanter subtriangular; femur narrowed apically; tibia thin; tarsomeres I–III subequal in length, tarsomere IV longer. Mid leg (Fig. 15) with coxa oval; trochanter small; femur narrowed apically; tibia thin, slightly dilated subapically, one macroseta present on dorsal surface; tarsomeres subequal in length. Hind leg with coxa (Fig. 16) subtriangular; trochanter subtriangular, macroseta present on anterior surface; femur slightly narrowed apically; tibia thin, slightly dilated apically; tarsomere I longer than II + III combined, tarsomere V twice as long as IV.

Abdomen (Figs 1-2) narrowed posteriorly. Segment I represented only by tergite I fused to metanotum. Segment II represented only by tergite II. Segments III–VII with 1 tergite, 1 sternite, and 2 pairs of paratergites respectively. Tergite VIII (Fig. 17) narrowed posteriorly, posterior margin slightly medially produced. Sternite VIII (Fig. 18) with posterior margin rounded. Tergite IX (Fig. 19) fully subdivided dorsally by tergite X; tergite X (Fig. 19) fully divided medially to base. Tergite X divided, only connected each other and tergite IX on anterior margin.

Median lobe of aedeagus (Figs 20-21) with basal capsule bulbous, more than three times as wide as apical lobe (Fig. 20), paramerally expanded (Fig. 21). Paramere (Fig. 22) with a structure appearing homologous to Seevers’ (1978) medial phragma produced apically; apical lobe extremely elongate and tapered apically, subequal in length to paramerite, single seta present. Spermatheca (Fig. 23) long and coiled.

Etymology.

The generic name is derived from a combination of Neo, Greek for “new” and the name of a similar-looking genus Termitosocius Seevers, 1941. The gender is masculine.