Species groups in the genus Cubitermes (Isoptera: Termitidae) defined on the basis of enteric valve morphology Author Josens, Guy Author Deligne, Jean text European Journal of Taxonomy 2019 2019-04-11 515 1 72 journal article 27314 10.5852/ejt.2019.515 4d4cc07e-3729-4179-90e1-cf469370776a 2118-9773 2638175 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F7AB8B53-FEB1-4473-8B22-DFEC9CE98FDD 6. The oculatus valve pattern group The workers within this pattern have basic enteric valves ( Fig. 17A ): all six primary cushions are similar in their arrangement but not in their sizes. The primary cushions are roughly triangular: their largest width is generally located near their upstream end and their lateral margins converge gradually downstream until the bristly part, where they remain parallel ( Fig. 11B ). The enteric valve shows bilateral symmetry, PC1 being much longer and often wider than the other PCs (WVP1-Pre> 1.30) ( Fig. 17A ). PC1 is made of (a) an upstream spiny part (40–66% of total length) with relatively strong spines, (b) a middle spiny part (10–27% of total length) with somewhat weaker spines and generally with 5–8 lateral supporting bristles on each side, and (c) a bristly part (22–38% of total length) with 30–50 straight, curved and eventually hooked bristles ( Fig. 11B ). The secondary cushions, near their upstream end, are never wider than the primary cushions; however, in some cases, they widen in their downstream, bristly, fuzzy parts ( Figs 4G , 17A ). The secondary cushions SC12 and SC61 (on both sides of PC1) are often faint or may be totally lacking ( Fig. 17A ). In the soldier’s enteric valve, the primary cushions are well outlined except at their upstream end; PC1 is much longer than the other primary cushions (SVP1-Pre> 1.25) and often substantially widened Fig. 17. A . Enteric valve of the “ oculatus valve pattern” from a worker of Cubitermes sp.: note the narrowness of the secondary cushion, almost faint in the case of SC61 (SC12 is not figured); B . Idem from a soldier of the same sample of C. sp., note the widening of PC1; C . Geographical distribution of the species with the oculatus valve pattern. between the first upstream quarter and the middle ( Fig. 17B ). The secondary cushions are like those of workers but bear less developed spines. This basic valve pattern is characterised by a long PC1 and therefore by high bilateral symmetry and PC1 pre-eminence indices in both soldiers and workers, and by the high elongation index of the workers’ SCs ( Table 5 ); most species are small. Material examined Two species have such enteric valves: