Orthognathotermes gibberorum Mathews

Rocha, Mauricio Martins Da & Cancello, Eliana M., 2009, Revision of the Neotropical termite genus Orthognathotermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Termitidae: Termitinae), Zootaxa 2280, pp. 1-26 : 7

Orthognathotermes gibberorum Mathews

(figs. 10, 32)

Orthognathotermes gibberorum Mathews, 1977:126 (soldier, 75).

Holotype: MZUSP (soldier: MZUSP-7411, 12 º 49´S 51º 46´W, Serra do Roncador, Mato Grosso, Brazil, A.G.A Mathews coll., kept separately in the same vial of paratypes), examined. See comments below.

Paratypes: soldiers and workers. BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: 12º 49´S 51º 46´W, Serra do Roncador: A.G.A Mathews coll. (7411). Examined.

Imago. Unknown.

Soldier. Head sides parallel in dorsal view. In profile, dorsal lump slightly salient behind the flanges. Mandibles of the second pattern, with tooth-like projection at half. Head capsule covered with dense mat of short hairs on surface. Posmentum with bristles and sparse short hairs. Pronotum with bristles on anterior and posterior margins, scattered short hairs on the surface, mesonotum and metanotum with bristles in posterior margins, abdominal tergites and sternites densely covered with bristles, with some erect bristles on posterior margins.

Comparisons. O. gibberorum soldier differs from all other species (of the same mandibles pattern) by a denser layer of short hairs on entire head capsule.

Geographical distribution. The type locality of O. gibberorum is in the transition between Cerrado and the Amazonian forest, in the “Serra do Roncador” ( Constantino & Cancello, 1992). Mathews collected the holotype in a nest of Cornitermes snyderi in an open formation (Campo/Cerrado margin). The new record of this species is in a Cerrado formation.

Comments. The types labels do not have a collecting date. Mathews (1977) mentioned that all the material was collected by him during the Royal Geographic Expedition, between: ix.1967 and x.1968.

The O. gibberorum soldier is very close to O. heberi . The prominence above the head forming two lumps may vary among individuals of the same colony; it may be present in other species ( O. heberi , O. insignis , O. uncimandibularis sp. nov.), and there is variation among individuals of the same sample.

Material examined. BRAZIL. Amapá: Aporema: 26.x.1989, R. Constantino coll. (MPEG-3227).