Orthognathotermes brevipilosus Snyder

Rocha, Mauricio Martins Da & Cancello, Eliana M., 2009, Revision of the Neotropical termite genus Orthognathotermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Termitidae: Termitinae), Zootaxa 2280, pp. 1-26 : 6

Orthognathotermes brevipilosus Snyder

(figs. 9, 29)

Orthognathotermes brevipilosus Snyder, 1926:70 .

Holotype: NMNH (soldier: TYPE-00209, Rosário, Bolivia, xi.1921, W.M. Mann coll.), examined. See comments below.

Imago. Unknown.

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, tooth-like projection at proximal half. Head capsule with sparse bristles on surface, denser short hairs on ventral surface and microscopic hairs on surface. Posmentum with denser bristles and short hairs on surface, pronotum with bristles on anterior and posterior margins, mesonotum and metanotum with bristles in posterior margin, abdominal tergites and sternites densely covered with bristles.

Comparisons. O. brevipilosus soldier has mandibles of the second pattern, a head capsule shorter than O. gibberorum , O. heberi , O. insignis , O. orthognathus and O. uncimandibularis sp. nov., and differs from all other species by the much denser short hairs only on the ventral surface of head, without bristles.

Geographical distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Material examined. Comments. The holotype does not correspond exactly to Snyder’s (1926) description, as he mentioned “numerous (denser) short hairs” on the head capsule, and we verified that this is true only on the ventral surface of the head capsule. Snyder mentioned “possible eye spots”, but we could not find any structure like this. The remaining description and the measurements fit the examined material. There was inside the flask a red label inscribed “ Type nº” without any number, although in Snyder’s description it was mentioned Cat. N o 27674, U.S. N.M.