Ruptitermes pitan, Acioli, Agno Nonato Serrão & Constantino, Reginaldo, 2015

Acioli, Agno Nonato Serrão & Constantino, Reginaldo, 2015, A taxonomic revision of the neotropical termite genus Ruptitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitinae), Zootaxa 4032 (5), pp. 451-492 : 473-476

Ruptitermes pitan , new species

Holotype: worker from lot UnB-9890.

Type-locality: BRAZIL: Distrito Federal: Brasília, Fazenda Água Limpa (lat 15.9625S long 47.9281W.

Type-repository: UnB.

Paratypes: BRAZIL: Bahia: Cocos, P.N. Grande Sertão Veredas, 17.iv.2000, J. Dalponte col., workers (UnB- 2711). Distrito Federal: Brasília, Fazenda Água Limpa, 01.x.2010, MCGR col., workers (UnB-9890). 03.xii.2007, A.M.A. Pessoa col., workers (UnB-7306). 07.v.1993, Suzana col., workers (UnB-1031). Minas Gerais: Bom Despacho, 22.vi.1977,? col., workers (MZSP-7373). Buritis, Fazenda São Miguel, 01.viii.2002, R.A. Calderon col., workers (UnB-4859). São Paulo: Araras, 17.xi.1978, S.M. Nunes col., workers (LRFC-0343). Botucatu, 05.xii.1999, C. Bordereau col., workers (MZSP-11081). Piracicaba, 07.xi.1982, J.S. Pinto col., workers (LRFC- 342). Rio Claro, 25.viii.1986, V.G. Martins col., workers, imagoes (LRFC-0656). 25.vii.1986, A.M.C. Leonardo col., workers (UnB-0341).

Etymology. From the Tupi-Guarani word “pîtã”, red, referring to the reddish color of the worker head.

Imago ( Fig. 15 ). Head capsule dark reddish brown, with many long bristles and densely covered with short hairs, about 1/5 of the length of bristles. Eyes rounded, relatively small. Fontanelle rounded, midsize, light brown to yellow. A short rounded ridge present along midline, anterior to fontanelle. Ocelli midsize, distant from eyes. Frontal marks oval, depressed, a little paler than head capsule. Postclypeus flattened, light brown, much paler than head capsule, with many bristles and dense short hairs. Antenna light brown, paler than postclypeus. Mandibles similar to those of R. xanthochiton . Pronotum about the same width as head capsule (without eyes); anterior margin concave; lateral margins convex, converging posteriorly; light brown, without white spots on midline; with many bristles and dense short hairs. Scutum and scutellum brown, same color as pronotum. Anterior region of scutellum a little paler than scutum; posterior margin brownish yellow. Pleural sclerites, coxa and femur light brown; tibia brownish yellow. Tergites light brown, paler than pronotum; sternites paler than tergites. Measurements in Table 1 .

Worker ( Figs. 16 , 22 K, 25E–F). Head capsule large and rounded, reddish brown, paler anteriorly, with many bristles and short hairs. Postclypeus flattened, light brown, usually with 3 bristles on each lobe. Fontanelle conspicuous, rounded, paler than head capsule. Frontal marks irregularly shaped, without distinct borders, paler than posterior region of head capsule. Mandibles similar to those of R. xanthochiton . Thoracic nota light brown, paler than head capsule; pronotum with long bristles along margins and a few sparse bristle on surface of posterior lobe; meso- and metanotum with a row of bristles on posterior and lateral margins; mesonotum with a few bristles on surface; metanotum with a transversal row of bristles near middle. Procoxa with 9 or more spine-like bristles on anterior surface, arranged along a curved line; two thick and straight bristles (more slender than the spine-like ones) on the proximal lateral corner ( Fig. 16 C). Meso- and metacoxa without spine-like bristles. Protibia slender, not inflated, with two irregular rows of spine-like bristles along inner margin ( Fig. 16 B). Profemur with the inner face not flattened and without thick bristles. Tergites light brown, same color as thoracic nota, with a two irregular rows of bristles of variable size and poorly aligned, and sparse hairs of variable size on surface. Bristles on thoracic nota and tergites dark colored and easily visible. Dehiscent glands large, filling up to 1/5 of the abdomen. Enteric valve unsclerotized; ridges short, reticulated with large and distinct pentagonal or hexagonal cells; cells become smaller and faint on a raised region located on the anterior part of the ridge ( Fig. 25 E–F). Measurements in Table 2 .

Comparisons. The worker of R. pitan , sp. n., can be recognized by its relatively large size, well sclerotized head and body, and the presence of 9 or more spine-like bristles on the procoxa. The workers of R. cangua , sp. n. and R. xanthochiton have two distinct lines of thick bristles on the inner surface of the profemur and are larger. The worker of R. atyra , sp. n. is about the same size, but has fewer hairs on head capsule and only 5–6 thick bristles on the procoxa.

Distribution. Ruptitermes pitan occurs in the southeastern portion of the Cerrado region ( Fig. 28 ), in natural habitats (savanna), in urban areas, and in eucalyptus plantations.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Imago of Ruptitermes pitan, sp. n. A, head in profile; B, head in dorsal view; C, pronotum in dorsal view; D, pterothorax in dorsal view.

FIGURE 16. Worker of Ruptitermes pitan, sp. n. A, habitus; B, protibia; C, procoxae; D, head in profile; E, head in dorsal view; F, mandibles.

FIGURE 22. Worker heads of Ruptitermes, showing pilosity. All figures in the same scale.

FIGURE 25. Enteric valve armature of workers of Ruptitermes. A, R. krishnai; B – C, R. maraca; D, R. piliceps; E – F, R. pitan; G – H, R. reconditus; I – J, R. xanthochiton. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 28. Geographic range of Ruptitermes maraca, sp. n., R. piliceps, sp. n., and R. pitan, sp. n.