Orthognathotermes orthognathus (Silvestri)

Rocha, Mauricio Martins Da & Cancello, Eliana M., 2009, Revision of the Neotropical termite genus Orthognathotermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Termitidae: Termitinae), Zootaxa 2280, pp. 1-26 : 13

Orthognathotermes orthognathus (Silvestri)

(figs. 12, 30)

Capritermes orthognathus Silvestri, 1903:65 (soldier, 114); Capritermes paradoxus Silvestri, 1901:5 (misidentification); Termes (Eutermes) orthognathus ; Desneux 1904:44;

Orthognathotermes orthognathus ; Holmgren, 1912:119.

Syntypes: DEZA, not examined, and MZUSP soldiers and workers. PARAGUAY. Tacurú-Pucu: 3.vii.1900, Fillippo Silvestri coll. (2011). Examined.

Imago. Unknown.

Soldier. Head sides parallel in dorsal view. In profile dorsal lump slightly salient behind the flanges. Mandibles of the second pattern, tooth-like projection at proximal half. Head capsule with sparse bristles and short hairs, denser on ventral surface, scattered microscopic hairs on entire capsule and denser in distal region. Posmentum with bristles and short hairs. Pronotum with short hairs and bristles, more abundant on margins. Mesonotum and metanotum with bristles and short hairs on posterior margins. Abdominal tergites and sternites densely covered with bristles. Sternites with erect bristles on posterior margins.

Comparisons. O. orthognathus soldier has robust mandibles, a head capsule larger than O. brevipilosus , O. longilamina sp. nov., O. macrocephalus , O. okeyma sp. nov., and parallel head capsule sides (slightly convergent in front in O. insignis and O. uncimandibularis sp. nov.). The most similar species is O. heberi , whose soldiers have narrower mandibles.

Geographical distribution. The unique register for O. orthognathus is the type-locality, in Cerrado formation ( Fig. 29 ).

Figures

FIGURE 29. Geographic distribution of O. brevipilosus, O. heberi and O. insignis.