Termitozophilus pilosus, Silva & Zilberman & Carvalho-Filho, 2022

Silva, Ruan Felipe Da, Zilberman, Bruno & Carvalho-Filho, Fernando Da Silva, 2022, Hidden Brazilian Amazon diversity: four new species, redescription and notes on natural history of Termitozophilus Silvestri, 1901 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 5209 (5), pp. 501-534 : 517-522

Termitozophilus pilosus sp. nov.

( Figs. 14–18 , 27B , 25 , 28 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( MPEG): Brasil [= Brazil], Pará, Peixe-Boi / Fazenda Abalém [Abalém Farm], 15.VII.2021 / R. F. Silva [collector], hospedeiro [= host]: Cornitermes pilosus .

PARATYPES. Same data as holotype, 5 ♂♂ and 5 ♀♀ in MZSUP ( MZSP 21290 , MZSP 21291 ) (1 ♀ and 1 ♂ dissected in slides, and 8 specimens in alcohol 70%); 5 ♂♂ and 5 ♀♀ in MPEG (in alcohol 70%); 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ in the CESP (in alcohol 70%); and 5 ♂♂ and 5 ♀♀ in the FMNH (in alcohol 70%) .

Diagnosis. Paratergites fused neither to each other nor to tergites and sternites; sclerotized areas of abdomen mostly light brown, with a large white-colored membranous area exposed in dorsal view. Head with vertex bearing two pairs of bristles, one bristle behind the eye and one on medial-posterior area. Elytra trapezoid with anteromesial border barely scaled. Hind wing membrane shed during post-imaginal growth. Posterior margin of sternite VIII with four bristles.

Description. Male—length ~ 1.3 mm ( Figs. 14C–D ); female—length ~ 1.4 mm ( Figs. 14A–B ).

Head subquadrate, about as wide as long, widest behind eye, almost narrowing posteriorly; eye about 1/3 of head length; vertex bearing two pairs of bristles: one bristle behind eye and one bristle on medial-posterior region ( Fig. 15A ). Antenna: scape longer than remainder antennomeres, except antennomere XI; antennomere XI about three times longer than wide and more than twice longer than antennomere X; antennomeres II–VI elongate, gradually decreasing in length, antennomeres VII–X moniliform. Mouthparts. Labrum more than twice wider than long, with slight sinuous anterior margin; five main long bristles on each lateral half, arranged in two diagonal rows each with two bristles and one bristle placed above middle of labrum length ( Fig. 15C ); epipharynx covered with sensilla and numerous short bristles, two of which longer. Mandible apex narrow, bearing a tooth on mesal region; with many punctuations on basal two thirds ( Figs. 15B , 18A–C ). Labium with ligula narrowed at base and with a median-apical emargination, resulting in two lobes; mentum and submentum distinct, both trapezoidal, with three bristles distributed on each lateral margin, as follows: apical, pre-apical, and proximal ( Fig. 17D ).

Thorax. Elytra trapezoidal, longer than wide and wider at posterior region ( Fig. 16C ), covering mesonotum and metanotum; anteromesial border barely scaled in internal view ( Figs. 17A–B ); covered with long bristles. Hind wing membrane shed during post-imaginal growth, present as a stump ( Fig. 16B ).

Abdomen with short tergites and with secondary sclerotization, not reaching inner paratergites; outer paratergites close to sternites margin by the former secondary sclerotization; inner and outer paratergites not fused ( Fig. 27B ); first segment represented by a weak sclerotized tergite joined to metanotum ( Fig. 16B ); sternites III–V with sparsely distributed pores; tergite VII ( Figs. 16D , 18D–E ) subquadrate, wider than long, with two rows of bristles, two bristle on medial region and six bristles on posterior half, anterior margin with conspicuous glandular area; tergite VIII ( Fig. 16G ) almost subquadrate, with two rows of bristles, each with six main long bristles on medial and posterior regions, and with six moderated sized bristles on posterior margin; sternite VIII ( Fig. 16H ) subquadrate, with acute posterior margin, with a row of six medial bristles, a row of eight posterior bristles, and four moderated sized bristles on posterior margin; male sternite IX ( Fig. 16F ) elongate and tongue-shaped, with four bristles on posterior half; female sternite IX represented by a pair of hemisternites laterally attached to tergite IX ( Fig. 16I ); tergite X ( Fig. 16E ) not bilobed, with three long bristles on each lateral half and two bristles on medial region.

Etymology. The specific epithet “ pilosus ” referring to the host species “ C. pilosus ”.

Geographic distribution. Brazil (Pará).

Host termites. This species was found in epigeal (above-ground) nests of Cornitermes pilosus . This is the first record of a termitophilous rove beetle in the nest of this termite species.

Notes on behavior. During laboratory observations ( Fig. 1F ), T. pilosus sp. nov. appears to be completely integrated into the colony of its host termite, since no agonistic interactions were observed, and the termites were seen palpating the beetles’ antennae, mouthparts, and abdomens. This species spent much of its time with the distal region of abdomen curled up over its body, not leaving the dorsal portion of the abdomen exposed. However, on other occasions, the abdomen was extended, exposing the tergites, which attracted termites that licked the gland present on tergite VII.

Discussion. Termitozophilus pilosus sp. nov. is similar to T. parapilosus sp. nov. in having abdominal sclerites mostly light brown and paratergites fused neither to each other nor to tergites and sternites ( Figs. 27A–E ). See discussion under T. favachoi sp. nov. and T. parapilosus sp. nov. for the resemblances and differences between these species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A) Cornitermes pilosus Holmgren nest, Peixe-Boi, Pará, Brazil. B) Cornitermes pilosus nest and collector (1.80m). C) Opened nest of C. pilosus. D) Fragment of the nest with Termitozophilus together with termites (arrow showing Termitozophilus). E) Material utilized in nest sorting. F) Cornitermes and Termitozophilus specimens under observation in a petri dish (arrow showing Termitozophilus).

FIGURE 14. Termitozophilus pilosus sp. nov. A) Habitus, female, lateral view. B) Habitus, female, dorsal view. C) Habitus, male, lateral view. D) Habitus, male, dorsal view.

FIGURE 15. Termitozophilus pilosus sp. nov. A) Head dorsal. B) Left and right mandibles, dorsal view. C) Labrum, dorsal view. D) Maxilla, dorsal view. E) Pré-mentum, ventral view. Scales: A = 2 mm; D = 1,5 mm; B, C, E = 0,5 mm.

FIGURE 16. Termitozophilus pilosus sp. nov. A) Meso-metaventrite, ventral view. B) Meso-metanotum and tergite I, dorsal view. C) Elytron, dorsal view. D) Tergite VII, dorsal view. E) Male tergites IX and X, dorsal view. F) Male sternite IX, ventral view. G) Tergite VIII, dorsal view. H) Sternite VIII, ventral view. I) Female tergites IX and X, dorsal view. J) Median lobe of aedeagus, lateral view. K) Aedeagus, paramere, dorsal view. L) Spermatheca, lateral view. Scales: A, B, D, E, H, I = 2 mm; C, F, G = 1,5 mm; L = 0,5 mm; J–K = 0,2 mm.

FIGURE 17. Termitozophilus pilosus sp. nov. A) Elytron, internal view. B) Detail of the anteromesial border of elytron, internal view. C) Maxilla, dorsal view. D) Pre-mentum, mentum and sub-mentum, lateral view (arrow showing suture). Scales:A = 100 µm; B = 20 µm; C = 50 µm; D = 20 µm.

FIGURE 18. Termitozophilus pilosus sp. nov. A) Mandible, dorsal view. B) Detail of mandible, dorsal view. C) Tergite VII, dorsal view. D) Detail of the glandular area of tergite VII, dorsal view. Scales: A = 50 µm; B = 20 µm; C = 200 µm; D = 10 µm.

FIGURE 25. Termitozophilus pilosus sp. nov., stenogastric male.A) Habitus, lateral view.B) Habitus, dorsal view.Scales: 1mm.

FIGURE 27. Phylogenetic recapitulation hypothesis based on the condition of abdominal sclerites in Termitozophilus species.

FIGURE 28. Geographic distribution of species of Termitozophilus in the Brazilian Amazon region (Para).