Genus Patawatermes · 帕塔瓦白蚁属
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Distribution map
About the genus
This genus belongs to the family Termitidae 白蚁科, in the subfamily Apicotermitinae 尖白蚁亚科; the site records 2 species.
Type species: Patawatermes turricola.
This page includes a distribution map for the genus (GBIF records aggregated on a 1° grid); open a species entry to see its type locality, distribution, and references.
Etymology
From the place name Patawa; -termes from Latin termes.
The etymologies in this section are analytical breakdowns; the roots follow Brown (1956).
Morphology
The descriptions below are an adaptation of the original genus-level accounts; terms follow the meaning of the source, and the original is not transcribed verbatim.
Diagnostic characters
Very similar to Grigiotermes, but clearly distinguishable by the shape of the enteric valve armature of the worker; moreover, although the worker P1 is swollen, it is less so than in Grigiotermes. The same set of morphological criteria (integument, mandibles, digestive tract and enteric valve) also separates the genus from the remaining South American soldierless termite genera.
Alate
Sclerotised parts dark brown, densely covered with several thousand minute setae. Head capsule with about 100 sparse long setae. Compound eyes and ocelli large. Fontanelle small to medium-sized, situated at the level of the anterior margin of the compound eyes. Pronotum elongate, with several dozen long setae. Posterior margins of mesonotum and metanotum slightly concave, angles strongly rounded.
Worker
Medium to large, head width 0.69–1.1 mm (genus-level measurements). Head capsule pale yellow, rounded, scattered with minute setae and about 100 long setae; fontanelle small, almost indistinct; mandibles and protibia as in figures 5C and 5D of the original. Enteric valve inserted into the tubular extension of the paunch, armature well developed, consisting of 6 circular spiny pads; anterior part of the enteric valve consisting of 6 oval cushions, each composed of about 50–80 scales, with a fringe of spines on the posterior margin. The mesenteron–proctodeum junction forms a small bulb, covered by the proctodeum, slightly elongated into a short, distinct mixed segment; hindgut P1 wide.
Sources: Bourguignon T.; Roisin Y. 2016. Towards a revision of the Neotropical soldierless termites (Isoptera: Termitidae): redescription of the genus Grigiotermes Mathews and description of five new genera. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 176(1): 15–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/zoj.12305, Patawatermes Bourguignon & Roisin, gen. nov. (genus treatment, pp. 23–26 per journal pagination; treatment text read from Zenodo deposit) This text is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcription of the original.
Species (2)
Parent level: Checklist index · Apicotermitinae 尖白蚁亚科 · Data & downloads