Revision of the Termitinae with snapping soldiers (Isoptera: Termitidae) from New Guinea
Author
Bourguignon, Thomas
Author
Leponce, Maurice
Author
Roisin, Yves
text
Zootaxa
2008
1769
1
34
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.182093
1a1e990f-a68a-4614-a8c1-c0ccabc38ba0
1175-5326
182093
Pericapritermes parvus
Bourguignon & Roisin
,
sp. nov.
(
Figs 33–36
,
55–56
,
67
)
Holotype
:
INDONESIA
.
Irian Jaya
. Authors' collection reference #
IRJT
165: soldier, Pusppenssat Irja (
50 km
from Nabire on Ilaga road):
26.xi.1995
, YR. In the collection of the
MBBJ
.
Paratypes
:
INDONESIA
.
Irian Jaya
. Authors' collection reference #
IRJT
165 (same colony as
holotype
): alates, soldiers and workers. In the collections of the
MBBJ
and
IRSN
.
PAPUA
NEW
GUINEA
.
ANIC
.
Enga. #10–11020: Baiyer River (alt.
1200m
):
24.i.1963
, JHB.
Imago
(
Figs 55–56
). Entire body densely hairy. Head capsule covered by many short setae and few large setae. Eyes very large. Ocelli very large, close to the eyes but not touching them. Pronotum densely hairy, wider anteriorly than posteriorly. Antennae 15-segmented. Measurements as in
Table 13
.
TABLE 13.
Measurements (mm) of 3 male and 1 female imagoes from 1 colony of
Pericapritermes parvus
sp. nov.
Male |
Female |
Length with wings |
10.95–11.79 |
11.41 |
Length without wings |
5.67–6.42 |
6.03 |
Head length to apex of the labrum |
1.25–1.37 |
1.30 |
Head length to clypeo-frontal suture |
0.68–0.74 |
0.75 |
Head width with eyes |
1.12–1.20 |
1.12 |
Eye maximum diameter |
0.37–0.38 |
0.42 |
Ocellus maximum length |
0.17–0.19 |
0.17 |
Pronotum length |
0.49–0.53 |
0.54 |
Pronotum width |
0.90–0.95 |
0.89 |
Forewing length |
8.66–9.46 |
9.48 |
Forewing width |
2.28–2.51 |
2.39 |
Soldier
(
Figs 33–34
). Small size (
Table 14
). Head capsule elongated, rounded posteriorly, slightly narrower anteriorly than posteriorly, covered by about 60 long setae. Head rising vertically above the fontanelle, as is
Discupiditermes
. Labrum short, cover by some setae. Postmentum deep, narrow and elongated, with widest part less or more 2.5 times larger than the narrowest part. Antennae 14-segmented. Thorax and abdomen fairly hairy.
FIGURES 33–36.
Pericapritermes parvus
sp. nov.
(type colony): 33, soldier head, dorsal; 34, soldier head, lateral; 35, worker mandibles; 36, enteric valve. Scale bars: 33, 34, 1mm.
Worker
(
Figs 35, 36
). Enteric valve with cushions each covered by about 10 small triangular spines. Measurements as in
Table 18
.
Diagnosis.
This species can be easily distinguished from other New Guinean species by its very small size and by the frons of the soldier showing a slight hump.
Distribution
(
Fig. 67
). Known from 2 samples, one (
type
colony) from hill forest in Western Irian Jaya, one from the Baiyer River valley in the
Papua New Guinea
highlands.
Etymology.
The specific epithet refers to little size of this species.