Muelleritermes globiceps Cancello, Oliveira and Rocha

Oliveira, Danilo E., Rocha, Mauricio R. & Cancello, Eliana M., 2015, Muelleritermes: A new termite genus with two species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Isoptera: Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae), Zootaxa 4012 (2), pp. 258-270 : 267-269

Muelleritermes globiceps Cancello, Oliveira and Rocha , sp. n.

( Figs. 3 E–H, 8, 10)

Holotype. Major soldier, stored separately, part of MZUSP 12667, Espírito Santo state, Linhares, Reserva Biológica de Sooretama, 03.iv.2001, Luís Cláudio M. Oliveira and E.M. Cancello coll.

Type locality. Reserva Biológica de Sooretama, Linhares, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, 18°59'S 040°6'W.

Paratypes. Espírito Santo: Linhares, 8.v.1991, B. Aglai O. Silva (22878), 8.viii.1991 (22876, 22877, 22881); Linhares, Reserva Biológica de Sooretama, 03.iv.2001, Luís Cláudio M. Oliveira and E.M. Cancello (12667), 05.iv.2001, Luís Cláudio M. Oliveira and E.M. Cancello (12668).

Etymology. From Latin “ globus”, globe, and “ ceps ”, derived from “ caput ”, head, due to the very rounded head of the major soldier, viewed from above.

Imago: Unknown.

Major soldier ( Fig. 10 A–B): Head capsule of major soldier broad, rounded, without constriction, in profile, contour uniform, not higher in posterior part; nasus slightly conical, narrower than in M. fritzi , sp. n. Antennae with 13 articles, 4th smallest, 5th to 12th about same length, 13th smaller. Few vestigial ommatids visible behind antennal socket ( Fig. 10 B, arrow), vestigial ocellus paler, between antennal socket and base of nasus. Pilosity as in M. fritzi , sp. n. Head pale yellow to dark yellow (orange-yellow) in darker soldiers, always with darker nasus, antennae lighter, tergites yellow to pale yellow.

Intermediate soldier ( Fig. 10 C–D): Head capsule less rounded than in major soldier, narrower, almost oval, contour of dorsal margin of head-nasus straight or sometimes with small elevation before nasus, in profile. Antennae with 13 articles, 2nd=4th<3rd=5th<6th, 6th to 12th articles subequal in length, last article smaller. Vestigial ommatids visible or not, vestigial ocellus hardly visible. Pilosity similar to major soldier. Head pale yellow to yellow, always with darker nasus, antennae lighter, tergites yellow to pale yellow.

Minor soldier ( Fig. 10 E–F): Head oval or elongate, but not as elongate as in M. fritzi , sp. n., less constricted, dorsal margin with slight sign of constriction. Nasus cylindrical, sometimes slightly wider on tip, contour of dorsal margin of head-nasus straight, or nasus slightly upturned. Antennae with 12 articles, 2nd smallest. Vestigial ommatids: only a few present or not visible in some individuals. Vestigial ocelli visible. Pilosity: less densely haired than major soldier, with fewer short hairs on head; nasus with short hairs along its length, but not forming thick mat of short hairs as in intermediate and major soldiers. Head pale yellow, nasus darker, tergites pale yellow to whitish.

Worker ( Fig. 3 E–H): As described for the genus, the most specific characteristic is the size, indicated in the comparison and in Table 2 .

Comparisons. See “comparisons” in M. fritzi , sp. n.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Workers of Muelleritermes, new genus, head in dorsal view and in profile. A, B: major worker of M. fritzi, sp. n.; C, D: minor worker of M. fritzi, sp. n.; E, F: major worker of M. globiceps, sp. n.; G, H: minor worker of M. globiceps, sp. n.

FIGURE 10. Soldiers of Muelleritermes globiceps, sp. n., head in dorsal view and in profile. A, B: major soldier; C, D: intermediate soldier; E, F: minor soldier. White arrow: vestigial ommatids.