Orthognathotermes insignis Araujo

Rocha, Mauricio Martins Da & Cancello, Eliana M., 2009, Revision of the Neotropical termite genus Orthognathotermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Termitidae: Termitinae), Zootaxa 2280, pp. 1-26 : 9-10

Orthognathotermes insignis Araujo

(figs. 7, 20, 25–26, 28, 29, 36, 37)

Orthognathotermes insignis Araujo, 1977:75 (Imago and soldier, 1–16).

Holotype: MZUSP (soldier: MZUSP-3271, Brazil, São Paulo, São Paulo (Morumbi), 13.xi.1950, R.L. Araujo coll.), examined.

Paratypes: soldier, workers and imagos. BRAZIL. São Paulo: Atibaia: 19.iii.1946, R.L. Araujo coll. (2934); Jarinú: 2.iii.1945, V. Autuori coll. (2839); Louveira: ix.1926, Oliveira Filho coll. (156); Osasco: 5.vi.1951, R.L. Araujo coll. (3357); Santo Amaro: 17.iv.1951, (3333, 3335); São Paulo: 30.viii.1944, (2381); 14.iii.1945. (2845); 8.x.1948. (3122, 3123*, 3125*); 31.x.1950. (3256, 3268*, 3270*-3274*); 20.iii.1951. (3319-3325); 9.v.1951. (3344); 22.v.1951. (3350); São Paulo (Ibirapuera): xi.1944. (2703); 25.ix.1945. (2906); 10.v.1946. (2954); São Paulo (Ipiranga): no data, F. Silvestri coll. (2008). All examined.

Imago. Eyes small, distant from the inferior margin of head equal to the larger diameter of the ocellus. Ocelli in dorsal view reniform and narrowed, sub-triangular and remote from the eye by distance less that its minimum diameter in lateral view. Fontanelle broad and large. Head capsule covered by short hairs, less on ventral surface, scattered bristles. Labrum with bristles not organized in rows. Pronotum densely covered with bristles and short hairs. Mesonotum and metanotum covered by short hairs, concentrated in the center and margins. Head sepia brown, pronotum brown to sepia brow and tergites brown to pale brown, sternites yellow, legs and wing scales pale brown.

Comparisons. The imago of O. insignis differs from those of the other species by the combination of subtriangular ocelli in lateral view and large fontanelle. The most similar species are O. heberi and O. longilamina sp. nov., from which they differ by the ocelli more distant from the eyes.

Soldier. Head with sides slightly convergent in front; in dorsal view. In profile dorsal lump slightly salient, behind the flanges. Mandibles of the second pattern (see Material and Methods), tooth-like projection at half. Head capsule with short hairs and sparse bristles, scattered microscopic hairs on back. Posmentum with bristles and short hairs. Pronotum with short hairs on the surface and bristles on margins, mesonotum and metanotum with bristles on posterior margins, abdominal tergites densely covered with short hairs and bristles, sternites covered with short hairs, bristles on posterior margins.

Comparisons. O. insignis soldier has a head capsule larger that O. brevipilosus , O. longilamina sp. nov., O. macrocephalus , O. okeyma sp. nov. and slightly convergent to front head capsule sides (parallel on O. heberi , O. gibberorum and O. orthognathus ). The most similar species are O. uncimandibularis sp. nov., whose soldiers differ by its strongly hooked tip on the left mandible and O. heberi , whose soldiers have the head sides parallel.

Geographical distribution. All registers of O. insignis are in open formations ( Fig. 29 ).

Material examined. BRAZIL. Bahia: Vitória da Conquista: 30.vi.1970, R.L. Araujo coll. (4800). Minas gerais: Parque da Canastra: 26.viii.1990, M.A. Drumond coll, (9523*, 11473); Poços de Caldas: 24.xii.1966, R.L. Araujo coll. (414); 25.xii.1966. (415-417); 3, 6, 10, 14-16, 18.ix.1967. (435, 437-440, 441*, 442-450, 452, 453, 516, 451); Sete Lagoas, 24.vi.1982, D.J. Domingos coll. (UFV-5447). São Paulo: Botucatu: 26.iv.2001, E.M. Cancello & C. Bordereau coll. (11474); Jarinú: 25.ii.1945, R.L. Araujo coll. (4322).

Figures

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