Coptotermes remotus Hill, 1927

Bourguignon, Thomas & Roisin, Yves, 2011, Revision of the termite family Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera) in New Guinea, ZooKeys 148, pp. 55-103 : 60-62

Coptotermes remotus Hill, 1927 Figs 10-1531

Coptotermes remotus Hill 1927: 16.

Material examined.

Syntypes:PAPUA NEW GUINEA: New Ireland: Kavieng (as Kaewieng), 4.x.1923 (H.G. Wallace) (NMVA T-18703, T-18704). Other material: PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Madang: Hansa Point, 08.vii.1984 (YR) (#PNGT719); Awar, 11.ix.1984 (YR) (#PNGT828); Nubia, 17.ii.1988 (YR) (#PNGT1154); Potsdam plantation, 22.xi.1988 (YR) (#PNGT1333); Hatzfeldhafen, 25.viii.1984 (YR) (#PNGT795); Baitabag, 17.x.1999 (L. Čižek) (#1, J. Šobotník’s collection);Sandaun: Yapsiei, 10-11.iii.1994 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1735, 1744). Central: Sirinumu Dam, 7.iii.1985 (JMP & YR) (#PNGT923); Fly: Lake Murray, 23.v.1990 (YR & ML) (#PNGT1569). INDONESIA:Papua: Pusppenssat-IrJa, 13.xi.1995 (YR) (#IRJT6, 10, 12); Pusppenssat-IrJa, 19.xi.1995 (YR) (#IRJT84, 85); Pusppenssat-IrJa, 30.xi.1995 (YR) (#IRJT207); Road Nabire-Mapia km 43, 15.xi.1995 (YR) (#IRJT40, 41); Road Nabire-Mapia km 43, 26.xi.1995 (YR) (#IRJT169, 170); Road Nabire-Mapia km 62, 18.xi.1995 (YR) (#IRJT74, 75); Topo, 28.xi.1995 (YR) (#IRJT189); Sanoba, 29.xi.1995 (YR) (#IRJT195); Coa, 22.xi.1995 (YR) (#IRJT131): Kaimana, 23.xi.1995 (YR) (#IRJT141). Samples included with doubt: PAPUA NEW GUINEA:East Sepik: Koil Island, 17.vi.1981 (JMP) (#PNGT75); Madang: Hansa Point, 23.ix.1988 (YR) (#PNGT1281).

Imago.

(Figs 10-11).Head densely hairy. Pronotum with many medium and large setae. Antennae with 17 articles. Measurements (mm) of 6 imagoes from 1 colony: TBL: 5.75-6.39; HLC: 1.09-1.18; HWE: 1.30-1.38; PL: 0.57-0.73; PW: 0.97-1.08; FWL: 9.92-11.09; ED: 0.33-0.44.

Soldier.

(Figs 12-15). Soldiers of small size. Head slightly longer than broad, covered by about 20 setae. Fontanelle with opening directed forward, not visible from above. Antennae generally with 14 articles, but occasionally with only 13 articles. Pronotum larger anteriorly than posteriorly, trapezoid-shaped, covered by about 50 setae. Mandibles with tips extremely curved. Right mandible with four serrations. Measurements (mm) of 5 soldiers from the type colony and 72 soldiers from 24 colonies (parentheses): HLF: 1.11-1.19 (1.01-1.29); HLL: 1.45-1.56 (1.23-1.63); HW: 1.00-1.04 (0.83-1.11); PL: 0.36-0.39 (0.29-0.46); PW: 0.67-0.70 (0.59-0.78); RML: 0.78-0.83 (0.69-0.85); MPW: 0.28-0.31 (0.26-0.38); T3L: 0.83-0.89 (0.68-0.99).

Comparisons.

This species shows variation in size along its distribution range although no consistent characters allowed us to split it up. Coptotermes remotus most resembles the Australian species Coptotermes lacteus and the Malayan ones Coptotermes bentongensis and Coptotermes sepangensis . These last two species occur in sympatry and are morphologically undistinguishable, making them probable synonyms. Soldiers of Coptotermes remotus can be distinguished from other New Guinean species by their small size and mandibles curved at the tip.

Distribution.

This species, originally described from Kavieng, New Ireland, is widespread throughout New Guinean forests. It is abundant in the bird’s neck area of Indonesian Papua, but only a few specimens were collected from Papua New Guinea (Fig. 31).

Termitophiles.

Coptophysella pulposa ( Coleoptera : Staphylinidae ) was found in colony #PNGT795 of this species in Hatzfeldthafen ( Roisin and Pasteels 1990). A possibly new species of Coptophysella was also found in colony #IRJT12 in Pusppenssat–IrJa (new record).