A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical termite genus Rhynchotermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae)
Author
Constantini, Joice P.
Author
Cancello, Eliana M.
text
Zootaxa
2016
4109
5
501
522
journal article
38733
10.11646/zootaxa.4109.5.1
cc91a621-560c-46d4-9c90-0ff226e1c932
1175-5326
260543
6690022A-AE4C-4E45-8A22-161FA9784E47
Rhynchotermes matraga
,
sp. nov.
Holotype
. Soldier,
17–27.iv.2011
, R.R. Silva & E.Z. Albuquerque cols., part of sample
MZUSP
16130.
Type-repository:
MZUSP
.
Type-locality
.
BRAZIL
. Minas Gerais: Conceição do Mato Dentro, Serra da Serpentina., lat
19.0502S
, long
43.3635W
.
Paratypes
.
BRAZIL
. Minas Gerais: Conceição do Mato Dentro, Serra da Serpentina, lat
19.0502S
, long
43.3635W
,
17–27.iv.2011
, R. R. Silva & E. Z. Albuquerque cols.,
MZUSP
16125 (
4 soldiers
,
5 workers
), 16130 (suplementary of
holotype
,
3 soldiers
).
Imago
. Unknown.
Soldier
(
Fig. 3
F, 4F, 5F). Monomorphic. Head capsule pear-shaped in dorsal view (
Fig 3
F). Antenna articles short (
Fig. 4
F). Frontal tube conical, about one-third longer than length of head. Dorsal margin of head and margin of frontal tube straight in profile. Mandible strongly curved (
Fig. 5
F), with subrectangular marginal tooth, apical region of each mandible aligns to the proximal region of the opposite mandible when closed. Inner margin of mandible serrated. Postmentum quadrangular. Forecoxa process subcylindrical. Head capsule with six long bristles; four laterally and two centrally. Pronotum with two to four long bristles on anterior lobe followed by a set of short bristles. Head capsule orange to reddish, body yellow. Measurements given in
Table 3
.
Worker
. Fontanelle inconspicuous. Postclypeus with a medium line light, inconspicuous. Measurements given in
Table 2
.
Etymology
. Augusto
Matraga
is a fictional character created by João Guimarães
Rosa (Rosa 1966
, translation), an important writer known for his work that values the country people of Minas Gerais. The author compares the strength of Augustus
Matraga
to termites: “(…)
tired his body with hard work and said prayers for his soul, all this without effort, like the white ants that raise red mounds in the pasture
(…)” (
Op. cit.
).
Biological notes
.
Rhynchotermes matraga
sp. nov
.
was collected with Winkler extractors without other biological data.
Comparisons
. The soldier of
R. matraga
sp
.
nov
.
is morphologically similar to
R. piauy
but is more robust with a wider head capsule and has proportionally shorter legs than
R. piauy
. In
R. piauy
the frontal tube length is almost as long as the head length while
R. matraga
sp
.
nov
.
has a frontal tube that is markedly longer than the head.