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

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5252/zoosystema2022v44a3
publication LSID	urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CC0C887B-C05F-4B76-BA88-7F585F510749
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6310652
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/976E00D3-6BC8-4B67-83A3-90778E454A45
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:976E00D3-6BC8-4B67-83A3-90778E454A45
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Rinacapritermes abundans Amina & Rajmohana
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Rinacapritermes abundans Amina & Rajmohana View in CoL , n. sp.

( Figs 2 View FIG ; 7C View FIG ; 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. GoogleMaps

Paratypes. India • 10 workers, 6 soldiers; with same data as for holotype GoogleMaps • 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 GoogleMaps • 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 GoogleMaps • 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. GoogleMaps

Sequenced specimens. Same as paratypes GoogleMaps .

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 View FIG ). 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 View FIG ).

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 View FIG ; 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 View FIG ). 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.