A new termite species from Iran, Microcerotermes shahroudiensis sp. nov. (Isoptera: Termitidae)
Author
Ghayourfar, Rahim
text
Zootaxa
2005
2005-06-28
1012
1
39
44
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.1012.1.4
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.1012.1.4
11755334
5049164
6829F114-74D4-4E61-BCCB-13AC19B8E240
Mirocertermes shahroudiensis
sp. nov.
(
Fig. 1
)
Description.
Soldier
. (
Table 1
). Head pale brown, somewhat darker anteriorly; antennae yellowish brown; pronotum paler than headcapsule; mesonotum, metanotum, legs and abdomen yellow. Labrum broadly tongueshaped, with a few long hairs near the tip and on its body.
TABLE 1.
Morphometric measurements of soldier (mm).
| Body parts |
Range |
Mean |
S. D. |
| Length of head to side base of mandible (L) |
1.25 |
1.25 |
0.00 |
| Max. width of head (W) |
1.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
| Length of left mandible (M) |
1.20–1.25 |
1.23 |
0.02 |
| Length of postmentum |
0.52–0.57 |
0.55 |
0.02 |
| Width of postmentum |
0.37 |
0.37 |
0.00 |
| Length of pronotum |
0.25–0.30 |
0.26 |
0.03 |
| Width of pronotum |
0.62–0.67 |
0.61 |
0.01 |
| L/M |
1.00–1.02 |
1.01 |
0.02 |
| L/W |
1.25 |
1.25 |
0.00 |
S. D. = Standard Deviation.
FIGURE 1.
Microcerotermes shahroudiensis
sp. nov.
A–B.
Head,
C.
Mandible,
D.
Antenna,
E.
Postmentum.
Headcapsule subrectangular, longer than broad, about 1.25 times as long as width, length to the side base of mandible
1.25 mm
, lateral sides parallel, a little convergent anteriorly. Fontanell indistinct. Eyespots present, pale brown. Antennae 13segmented, segment 3 the shortest, 4 onwards increasing in length, last segment (13
th
) slender and much longer than penultimate. Postclypeus distinct, demarcated from frons. Anteclypeus apilose, hyaline, whitish, thin and narrow. Mandible long, subequal of head to the side base of mandibles, length
1.20–1.25 mm
, fairly straight of outer margins, inner margins finely ser rated, apex weakly incurved. Postmentum subrectangular, with an impercible incurving below middle, sides converging to anterior margin from widest portion. Pronotum saddleshaped, with a very indistinct notch at anterior and posterior margins. Mesonotum wider than pronotum; metanotum wider than mesonotum. Legs long and hairy, middlelegs the shortest, hindlegs the longest; foretibiae slightly swollen, apical tibial spurs 3: 2: 2; tarsi 4jointed.
Worker
. (
Table 2
). Headcapsule yellowish, subcircular, wider than its length to mandible base, sides converging posteriorly, posterior margin round. Thorax, abdomen and legs pale yellow. Head and body fairly pilose.Antennae 13segmented, segment 3 the shortest. Postclypeus swollen, a little wider than length, divided into two parts by a median vertical line. Anteclypeus hyaline, trapezoidal, with a medial tip on anterior margin. Labrum broadly tongueshaped, pilose. Mandible typical for the genus. Legs long, apical tibial spurs 3:2:2, tarsi 4jointed.
TABLE 2.
Morphometric measurements of worker (mm).
| Body part |
Mean |
Range |
S.D. |
| Total body |
4.65 |
4.20–5.20 |
0.31 |
| Length of head to side base of mandible |
0.93 |
0.75–1.00 |
0.09 |
| Max. width of head |
1.00 |
0.87–1.07 |
0.06 |
| Length of pronotum |
0.32 |
0.30–0.35 |
0.02 |
| Width of pronotum |
0.63 |
0.60–0.67 |
0.02 |
S. D.= Standard deviation
Material examined.
Holotype
,
1 soldier
and
1 worker
,
Iran
,
Semnan province
,
Shahroud
,
Ghaderabad
,
29.ix.1997
, (
R
. Ghayourfar) (HMIM).
Paratypes
,
3 soldiers
and
16 workers
,
Iran
, same data as holotype (HMIM)
.
Etymology. Named after its
type
locality, Shahroud.
Comments. This species, especially soldiers, comes closest to
M. varaminicus
Ghayourfar
, but differ from it in possessing darker headcapsule and distinct postclypeus demarcated from frons. Furthermore, it could be separated from the other
Microcerotermes
species
distributed in
Iran
using the morphometric measurements presented in
Table 3.
TABLE 3.
Comparison of morphometric measurements of
Microcerotermes
species
(mm).
| Species |
L/W |
L/M |
W |
L |
M |
|
M. diversus
|
1.55 |
1.40 |
0.90 |
1.40 |
1.00 |
|
M. gabrielis
|
1.10 |
0.78 |
0.84 |
0.93 |
1.18 |
|
M. buettikeri
|
1.28 |
1.05 |
0.86 |
1.10 |
1.05 |
|
M. pakistanicus
|
1.77 |
1.65 |
0.93 |
1.65 |
1.00 |
|
M. chhotanii
|
1.54 |
1.52 |
0.94 |
1.45 |
0.95 |
|
M. varaminicus
|
1.37 |
1.10 |
1.00 |
1.37 |
1.25 |
|
M. sistaniensis
|
1.23 |
1.30 |
1.12 |
1.40 |
1.09 |
|
M. shahroudiensi
|
1.25 |
1.01 |
1.00 |
1.25 |
1.23 |
M= Length of left mandible, L= Length of head to side base of mandible, W= Max. width of head, L/M= Length of head to side base of mandible to length of left mandible, L/W= Length of head to side base of mandible to max. width of head.