Muelleritermes fritzi 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 : 263-266

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

( Figs. 1 , 2 , 3 A–D, 4–9)

Holotype. Major soldier, stored separately, part of MZUSP 10679, v.1996, Thomas Schlemmermeyer coll.

Type locality. Estação Biológica de Boraceia, state of São Paulo, Brazil, 23º38'S, 045º52'W.

Paratypes. Minas Gerais: Conceição do Mato Dentro, Serra da Serpentina, 17–27.iv.2011, Rogério R. Silva & Emília Z. Albuquerque (15455, 22875, 22879); Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro, 19–24.vi.2012, Andrea P. Vargas (22880), 28.ii.2015, Mauricio M. Rocha (23318). São Paulo: Salesópolis, Estação Biológica de Boraceia, 22.x.1997, Christiana Klingenberg & Cristiane I. Yamammoto (11033), 17.xii.1992, C. Roberto F. Brandão, F. Ejchel (10672), 12.v.1961, K. Lenko (1896), ix.1995, Thomas Schlemmermeyer (10674, 10675, 10676*, 10677, 10678), v.1996 (10673, 10679*, 10680, 10681, 10682), 14.iv.1997 (10780), 22.ii.1998 (10781, 10779); São Paulo, Serra da Cantareira, 22.x.1993, Marco Antônio J. Pereira (11052*, 3–4.xi.1993, 11050*, 11051*, 11053).

Etymology. In honor of Fritz Müller (see above).

Imago ( Figs. 1 , 2 ): See description of alates for the genus. Antennae with 15 articles, 3rd<4th>or = 5th <6th <7th, then increasing slightly in length to 14th, 15th shorter than 14th. Color: head chestnut brown to brown, postclypeus lighter, pronotum yellowish brown with central region lighter. Males smaller than females, with eyes more prominent than in females ( Table 1 ).

Major soldier ( Fig. 9 A–B): Head contour sometimes nearly rounded, irregular or oval, with or without slight constriction. In profile, head higher in hind part than in frontal region (and much higher than in M. globiceps , sp. n., with a different profile) ( Fig. 9 B). Frontal tube slightly conical, shorter than length of head, straight or slightly upturned, base in profile as in Fig. 9 B or thinner and longer than in figure. Behind antennae are a few vestigial ommatids ( Fig. 9 B, arrow) and between base of nasus and base of antennae, in profile, there is a kind of lens, similar to a vestigial ocellus, not very clear in the figures. Antennae with 12 articles, 4th with sign of division or 13 articles, 4th smallest of all. Pronotum small, anterior lobe short and not emarginate. Pilosity: head capsule with denser mat of short hairs oriented in different directions plus four bristles at base of nasus, two at vertex, directed backward, and two on postclypeus, plus many short hairs; nasus covered with short hairs oriented forward, plus four shorter bristles on apex. Pronotum with many short hairs on margins, tergites with few short hairs plus some bristles on surface and longer bristles on posterior margins; sternites with bristles, and much more thickly haired. In darker soldiers, head from ferruginous yellow to dark orange, with darker nasus.

Intermediate soldier ( Fig. 9 C–D): Smaller than major soldier or almost same size, head not rounded, narrower than in major soldier, oval or elongate, in dorsal view, with slight constriction before antennae, nasus slightly conical, but relatively longer and narrower, slightly upturned or thicker and downward-oriented. There are fewer ommatids than in major soldier and the same kind of vestigial ocellus. Antennae as in major soldier. Pilosity equal to major soldier or intermediate, i.e., fewer short hairs than in major soldier and more than in minor soldier, plus same kind of bristles. Lighter than major soldier and darker than minor. This is the least numerous morph in the samples examined.

Minor soldier ( Fig. 9 E–F): Head elongate with marked constriction before antennae, some constrictions more marked than others, contour of dorsal surface in profile shows this constriction. Nasus cylindrical, slender, with apex thicker. Antennae with 12 articles: 2nd smallest, 3rd to 11th equal or subequal in length, 12th smaller than 11th. Pilosity different from major soldier: less hairy, same bristles, and few short hairs oriented in different directions; nasus with few short hairs in first two-thirds and with many short hairs in last third, sometimes with one or two bristles along nasus and/or at base of nasus, ventral or lateral. Pilosity of pronotum, tergites and sternites same as in major soldier.

Worker ( Figs. 3 A–D, 4–7): As described for the genus, the most specific characteristic is the size, indicated in the comparison and in Table 2 .

Comparisons. All workers and soldiers of M. fritzi , sp. n. are larger than those of M. globiceps , sp. n. and the soldiers are also darker. The top of the head of the major soldier is distinctly higher on the vertex ( Fig. 9 B), whereas it is not in M. globiceps , sp. n. ( Fig.10 B). The minor soldier of M. fritzi , sp. n. has a more-upturned nasus, and the head is constricted behind the antennae.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Imagoes of Muelleritermes fritzi, sp. n. Head in dorsal view and in profile: A, C: male; B, D: female.

FIGURE 2. Imago of Muelleritermes fritzi, sp. n. A: thorax in dorsal view; B: head in frontal view; C: micrasters on wing surface; D: papillae on wing edge. White arrow: carina; black arrow: rough edge of coxa.

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 9. Soldiers of Muelleritermes fritzi, 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.

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.

Tables

TABLE 1. Measurements (in mm) of the soldiers and workers of Muelleritermes, new genus. MWH: maximum width of head; WHO: width of head at oral region; LH: length of head; LN: length of nasus; WP: width of pronotum; LT: length of hind tibia; N: number of measured specimens.

M. fritzi MWH	WHO	LH	LN	WP	LT	N
Major soldier 1.20–1.08	0.72–0.56	2.04–1.92	0.76–0.68	0.56–0.48	1.16–1.04	11
Intermediate soldier 0.84	0.60	1.80	0.68	0.56	1.12	1
Minor soldier 0.60–0.36	0.52–0.36	1.44–1.36	0.64–0.56	0.36–0.28	0.96–0.84	10
Major worker 1.00–0.88	–	1.00–0.64	–	0.56–0.48	1.12–0.88	10
Minor worker 0.80–0.68	–	0.76–0.64	–	0.48–0.36	0.80–0.72	5
M. globiceps MWH	WHO	TLH	LN	WP	LT	N
Major soldier 1.00–0.92	0.44–0.40	1.76–1.60	0.72–0.52	0.44	0.88–0.84	6
Intermediate soldier 0.84–0.72	0.44–0.40	1.60–1.52	0.68–0.64	0.44	1.00–0.92	4
Minor soldier 0.52–0.40	0.32–0.28	1.16–0.80	0.68–0.44	0.32–0.28	0.76–0.68	8
Major worker 0.84–0.72	–	0.72–0.60	–	0.48–0.36	0.88–0.80	8
Minor worker 0.72	–	0.64	–	0.36	0.68	1