Acangaobitermes krishnai, Rocha, Mauricio M., Cancello, Eliana M. & Cuezzo, Carolina, 2011

Rocha, Mauricio M., Cancello, Eliana M. & Cuezzo, Carolina, 2011, A new genus and species of mandibulate nasute termite (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae) from Brazil, ZooKeys 148, pp. 125-134 : 128-130

Acangaobitermes krishnai sp. n. Figs 19

Holotype.

Soldier. Part of the lot MZUSP 13167, labeled "Parque Nac. Emas, GO, 22.iv.2004. Ninho 212, D. Costa col." Kept separately in the same vial with paratypes.

Type-locality.

BRAZIL. Goiás: Parque Nacional das Emas (18°01.49'S; 52°57.87'W, 850 m).

Paratypes.

Soldiers and workers of MZUSP 13167 with same data as holotype. Goiás: Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas (17°44.7'S; 48°37.5'W, 1000 m), 23.iii.2008, D. E. Oliveira coll. (MZUSP 13168). Minas Gerais: Serra de São José (21°4.98'S; 44°10.02'W, 1250m), 11.iv.2007, E.M. Cancello coll. (MZUSP 11956). Rondônia: UHE Santo Antônio (8°50.63'S; 64°3.75'W, 100 m), 22.ix.2010, T. Carrijo & R. Santos coll. (MZUSP 13670).

Diagnosis.

As for the genus (vide supra).

Etymology.

Named in honor of Dr Kumar Krishna, for his important contributions to termite taxonomy.

Description.

Imago. Unknown.

Soldier. Shape of head, frontal tube, labrum, mandibles, pronotum under generic description. Antennae with 14 articles, 2nd half size of 1st, 3rd half of 2nd, 4th half of 3rd, 5th twice the size of 4th, subsequent articles sub-equal and similar to third. Scattered bristles, short hairs and microscopic hairs on top and lateral sides of head capsule, few bristles at rear portion. Frontal tube with microscopic hairs along its length and hairs around aperture of frontal tube. Pronotum with bristles on margins, plus two pairs of bristles at middle of anterior lobe. Mesonotum and metanotum with a row of bristles on posterior margins. Abdominal tergites and sternites with short hairs over surfaces and bristles on posterior margins. Head orange, mandibles ferruginous, body pale-yellow. Measurements, in millimeters, of four soldiers including the holotype: LH: 1.26-1.52; WH: 0.62-0.70; LFT: 0.56-0.74; LT: 0.64-0.66.

Worker. External morphology under generic description. Head capsule with scattered bristles, antennae with some short hairs and sparse bristles, pronotum with bristles on margins and over surface of anterior lobe, mesonotum and metanotum with bristles on posterior margins. Abdominal tergites and sternites with short hairs over surfaces and bristles on posterior margins.

Digestive tube (Figs 4 a– 4e, 6). Coiling gut pattern and gizzard armature under generic description. P2 armature (Fig. 6) with three longitudinal equidistant cushions covered with strong and erect spines oriented perpendicular to gut contents flow, among the cushions minor spines settled at different orientations. P3 internally ornamented with long cuticular filaments (as described in Noirot 2001).

Biology. All the samples were collected in the soil or in nests of Cornitermes cumulans (Kollar) and Armitermes euamignathus Silvestri, in areas of openformation. The specimens from state of Goiás are collected in a Cerrado formation. From the state of Rondônia in a border line between primary forest and pasture. From Minas Gerais state in a "Campo rupestre", a characteristic altitudinal field, with granitic outcrops and composed by xeric vegetation.