Corresponding author: Anthony C. Postle (
Academic editor: E. Cancello
A new species of termite,
Postle AC, Scheffrahn RH (2016) A new termite (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae,
The Neotropical subfamily
Within the
There are also differences between the workers. The morphology of the mandibles—including the absence of ridges on the molar plates—and relative dimensions of the digestive tube are essentially the same among the three taxa; however,
Genera of
Specimens of
The genus
Holotype. Soldier. Labelled “(UF code CO442) Colombia, Depto. Magdalena, Ciénaga de Ortiz,
COLOMBIA. Elevation 44 m
One soldier and 12 workers. The material examined was hand-collected by John R. Mangold. The type and paratypes are deposited in the University of Florida Termite Collection (Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Davie, Florida).
The species name is derived from the latinization of Colombia, the type country.
Pronotum narrower than head, anterior lobe longer than broad, arising very steeply from posterior lobe so that it is positioned like a brace under the posterior margin of the head capsule, posterior lobe more than twice as broad as long, lateral and postero-lateral margins with numerous dark short, tooth-like spines; lateral margins of meso- and metanotum with similar spines. Legs slender with irregularly spaced long, pale, fine, erect setae on femora, tibiae and tarsi, fore-coxae ridged but with no projecting keel, fore-tibiae slightly inflated, fore- and mid-coxae with two short, dark, stout distal spines on inner ventral surface near junction with trochanter; tibial spur formula 2: 2: 2. Abdominal tergites and sternites with numerous, closely packed, long and short pale, erect setae.
Measurements – mean and range in mm (n=2): head length with nasus: 2.30 (2.20–2.40), head length to base of mandibles: 0.96 (no range), maximum head width: 1.36 (1.32–1.40), maximum pronotal width: 0.82 (0.80–0.84), length of hind tibia: 1.17 (1.16–1.18).
Pronotum narrower than head, anterior lobe as in soldier, much longer than broad and rising at a very steep angle (>80 degrees) from the posterior lobe, about as long as broad; anterior margin with a row of long, pale, erect setae interspersed with smaller setae, posterior lobe short and broad; lateral and postero-lateral margins of pronotum and lateral margins of meso- and metanotum with numerous short, dark, serrations or tooth-like spines. Legs slender with numerous long, pale, erect setae on femora, tibiae and tarsi, a few prominent dark spines on anterior and inner ventral surfaces of fore-coxae and basal region of fore-femora, shorter, irregularly spaced shorter dark spines elsewhere on these segments, fore-coxae ridged but with no projecting keel, fore-tibiae slightly inflated, a ventral row of longer dark spines, along with a few scattered, much shorter dark spines on distal half; tibial spur formula 2: 2: 2. Tergites and sternites with numerous closely packed, long and short pale, fine, erect setae.
Digestive tube almost identical to that of
Measurements – mean and range in mm (n=12): head length with nasus/mandibles: 1.34 (1.28–1.44), head length to base of mandibles: 0.86 (0.84–0.92), maximum head width: 1.09 (1.04–1.12), maximum pronotal width: 0.62 (0.56–0.64), length of hind tibia: 1.06 (1.04–1.12).
The new species was assigned to
Nevertheless, this termite does not fit readily into
Rather than create a new genus, the authors therefore place this species in
The enteric valve of the worker very closely resembles that of
The absence of pulvillar spines as a generic feature is yet to be determined. Although pulvilli are described as “lacking armature or ornamentation” in
It is possible that DNA analyses may provide greater insight into the relationship of
Collected under permit no. 4120-E1-55958, Ministerio del Ambiente, Vivienda y Desarrollo Territorial, República de Colombia.