Magnifitermes, 2022

Jouault, Corentin, Engel, Michael S., Fls, Legendre, Frédéric, Huang, Diying, Grandcolas, Philippe & Nel, André, 2022, Incrementing and clarifying the diversity and early evolution of termites (Blattodea: Isoptera), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 196, pp. 608-629 : 617

GENUS MAGNIFITERMES JOUAULT, ENGEL & NEL GEN. NOV.

Zoobank registration: http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid: z o o b a n k. o r g:a c t: B D E A7C 1 1- 0 2 9 6- 4 7F 8- A7 3 5 - 817A4D58F844

Etymology: The generic name is a combination of the Latin adjective magnificus, magnificent, and the noun termes, meaning ‘maggot’ or ‘termite’, and commonly used as the root for many genera of Isoptera . Gender masculine.

Type species: Magnifitermes krishnai Jouault, Engel & Nel sp. nov.

Diagnosis: Imago. Head massive, square-shaped, dorsally flattened, with posterior corners broadly rounded; epicranial scar present; ocelli present, located just above compound eyes (not separated from eyes by a space greater than their length); postclypeus trapezoidal and flat; anteclypeus anteriorly convex; left mandible with an apical and two distinct marginal teeth, LM 1 -LM 2 interdental space broad, v-shaped, posterior margin of LM 1 slightly longer than anterior margin LM 2; pronotum massive, trapezoidal, wider than head, anterior margin concave surrounding head, posterior margin broadly convex, with dorsal surface flatly arched in profile, sides convex; tarsi pentamerous, with fifth tarsomere extremely elongate; tibial spur formula 3-4-4; protibia with two additional spines (fa, fb); mesotibia with four(?) additional spines (ma, mb, mc, md); metatibia with at least three additional spines (ha, hb, hc); pretarsal arolium present; forewing scale large, overlapping hindwing scale, claval suture (PCu) broadly arched, basal suture broadly arched; Sc, RA, RP, M heavily sclerotized; Sc with two main branches; R branched within scale; RP running parallel to costal margin, with at least five branches joining costal margin; M slightly closer to RP than to CuA, with at least four secondary branches radiating to apical margin; CuA less sclerotized, with several branches joining lower margin. Hindwing: scale (basal) suture absent; anal lobe (ano-jugal) developed (folded)