Speculitermes roonwali Maiti, 1983 鲁恩沃稀白蚁

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1. Speculitermes Wasmann 1902

   Aiswarya Pulikkal Muralidharan, Poovoli Amina, Ambalaparambil Vasu Sudhikumar · 2026 ·

   Abstract

   Genus Speculitermes Wasmann, 1902 Type species: Speculitermes cyclops Wasmann, 1902 Distribution in India: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal (Fig. 8). Remarks: The genus Speculitermes was first placed in the subfamily Amitermitinae Kemner, 1934, and later transferred to Apicotermitinae by Sands (1972). The soldier caste is absent in most of the species of Speculitermes excluding S. sinhalensis, S. dharwarensis and S. macrodentatus, hence the species identification is mainly based on the worker caste and imagoes. Out of the 12 species of Speculitermes known from the Oriental Region, 10 species were reported from India. In Kerala, this genus is represented by four species so far, namely, S. emersoni, S. sinhalensis, S. chadaensis and S. dharwarensis. The occurrence of soldier caste in S. latalabrum is of considerable significance as it shows a rare deviation from the predominantly soldierless genus.

2. Speculitermes latalabrum Aiswarya and Amina 2026, sp. nov.

   Aiswarya Pulikkal Muralidharan, Poovoli Amina, Ambalaparambil Vasu Sudhikumar · 2026 ·

   Abstract

   Speculitermes latalabrum Aiswarya and Amina sp. nov. (Figs 1A–1F, 2A–2E, 3A– 3D, 7A, Table 1.) Material examined: Holotype (soldier), India: Kerala: Thrissur (Asurankundu Dam), 10.6852N, 76.2955E, 13 January 2024, P. M. Aiswarya and A. V. Sudhikumar coll., Colony code, Vial No. AK-1, CATE / IX /1913. Paratypes: 15 workers with same data as holotype. Diagnosis Soldiers with large head (width 2.00mm), broadly dome shaped labrum. Postmentum strongly narrowed at waist. Abdomen small and moderately pilose. Worker head with mid-dorsal spot flushed with its surface, clypeus long (more than half its width). Description Imago - Unknown Soldier- Head capsule dark brown, paler anteriorly, pale yellow streak running on either side, converging posteriorly; antennae pale brown. Mandibles dark brown, paler at the base; labrum pale brown. Thorax, legs and abdomen creamish (Fig. 1A). Body length 7.8 mm (Table 1). Head capsule and thorax sparsely hairy, abdomen moderately hairy. Head subrectangular and flat in dorsal view (Fig. 1B), sloping in front in profile (Fig. 1C). Antennae with fourteen articles, third segment subdivided and longer than second segment; second segment shortest. Postclypeus subdivided by an incision into right and left halves, sparsely hairy; anteclypeus thin, strip-like and apilose. Labrum broadly dome-shaped (Fig. 1D) with long and short hairs on the anterior portion and body. Mandibles long and thick, broader at the base, distally incurved inwards, much longer, more than 3/4 of head length; each mandible with large, pointed tooth 1/3 length from tip; Right mandibular tooth is more pointed than left, right tooth, upwardly directed, left tooth laterally directed. Postmentum long, club shaped (Fig. 1E), and narrow basally; two bristles on either side of anterior margin, longer one pointing inward and shorter one pointing towards sides; lateral sides are characterized with single moderately long hair on each side followed by gradually shortening hairs towards the middle. Pronotum is substantially saddle shaped with a fringe of short hairs on anterior margin and few longer hairs on the lateral margins, there is no median notch on anterior or posterior margins (Fig. 1F). Mesonotum slightly smaller, metanotum slightly wider. Legs slender, hairy, apical tibial spurs 3:2:2. Abdomen small, moderately pilose, tergites and sternites with poor sclerotization. Worker - Head capsule brown; labrum and post clypeus light coloured than head; antennae pale in colour, brown towards the tip; thorax and abdomen pale and translucent (Fig. 2A). Head sparsely and body densely hairy. Total body length 5.54-6.32 mm. Head capsule subcircular (Fig. 2B), wider than head length to base of mandible (head length to tip of labrum 1.57-1.71 mm; length to the base of mandibles 1.00- 1.23 mm, maximum head width 1.25- 1.30 mm). Y- suture is distinctly marked with round, small mid-dorsal spot which is not swollen. Antennae with fourteen articles; article three subdivided, club shaped and longer than two; segment two shortest. Postclypeus swollen, length more than half of its width (length 0.22-0.29 mm, width 0.50-0.55 mm). Left mandible with triangular apical tooth, subequal to or slightly shorter than first + second marginal; anterior margin of first + second marginal tooth shorter than long and sinuate posterior margin; third marginal tooth pointed, triangular, shorter than first + second marginal, with an incision between first + second; molar prominence projects beyond third marginal, not reaching up to first + second marginal. Right mandible with apical tooth subequal to first marginal; anterior margin of first marginal straight, posterior margin longer; second marginal tooth short with a blunt end, posterior margin long and slightly incurved; molar plate with apical thickening, concave, smooth and without ridges (Fig. 2D). Pronotum (Fig.2E) saddle shaped (length 0.42-0.47 mm, width 0.73-0.77 mm), mesonotum wider than pronotum, legs with apical tibial spurs in 2:2:2 ratio; tarsi four segmented. Abdomen elongated, cerci two segmented. Gut (Figs 3A–3D) with crop slightly asymmetrical, not voluminous; gizzard regressed. Mixed segment absent. First proctodaeal segment (P1) long and tubular, opening into elongated paunch (P3) through enteric valve (P2) constriction. P1 “C” shaped at posterior region. Enteric-valve armature (Fig 7A) with six hexaradial cushions separated by short intervals; each cushion bearing numerous spines. Distal region of paunch (P3) opens into thin fourth proctodaeal segment (P4), which finally joins rectum (P5). Etymology: The species is named “ latalabrum " (in Latin, lata=wider) after its wider labrum comparing to other known species of Speculitermes. Comparison: Of the three known species to have soldiers of Speculitermes from the Oriental region, Speculitermes latalabrum sp. nov. shows affinity to S. macrodentatus in having broad labrum with parallel lateral margin and broadly rounded anterolateral corners. In addition, it can be separated from S. macrodentatus in the following characters - head comparatively broad (head width 2.00 mm; head index (head width/ head length to the base of mandibles) = 0.90 mm) in proposed new species vs. narrow (head width 1.74-1.92 mm; head index 0.78-0.84 mm) in S. macrodentatus; and the postmentum long and broad (length 1.55 mm, width 0.62 mm, width at waist 0.46) vs. comparatively short and narrow (length 1.19-1.30 mm, width 0.46-0.52 mm, width at waist 0.31-33 mm). The soldier of S. latalabrum resembles S. sinhalensis in having subrectangular, flat head with pale yellow streaks running on either side of the head. The head capsule of the new species is comparatively wide (2.0 mm) vs. narrow (1.8-1.93 mm). The labrum is broad and lateral sides nearly parallel and anterolateral corners broadly rounded in S. latalabrum vs. labrum is comparatively and lateral sides not parallel and anterolateral corners narrowly rounded in S. sinhalensis. Mandible long (length 1.81 mm, index 0.82) vs. short (length 1.44-1.52 mm, index 0.58-0.65). Speculitermes latalabrum resembles S. dharwarensis with both having subrectangular head sloping anteriorly in profile; mandibles with forwardly directed tooth. S. latalabrum differs from S. dharwarensis in having a broader head (width 2.00 mm) vs. less broad (width 1.75 mm) in the latter. The marginal tooth is at a distance more than 1/3 from the apical point in S. latalabrum vs. marginal tooth at a distance less than 1/3 from the tip of mandible. Workers of the S. latalabrum resembles S. sinhalensis in having a mid-dorsal spot on the head, which is not swollen, but it differs from S. sinhalensis in post clypeus length, more than half of its width (length 0.22-0.29 mm, width 0.50-0.55 mm) vs. length nearly half of its width (length 0.29-0.33 mm; width 0.60-0.66 mm).

3. The digestive tube and enteric valve armature of termite species of the genera Speculitermes and Indotermes (Isoptera: Termitidae).

   Akhtar Ms, N. A. M. IQBAL · 1987 · Sociobiology

   Abstract

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