Termitozophilus pilosus Silva & Zilberman & Carvalho-Filho 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Silva, Ruan Felipe Da
name: Zilberman, Bruno
name: Carvalho-Filho, Fernando Da Silva
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Termitozophilus
Termitozophilus pilosus

description: Termitozophilus pilosus sp. nov.
(Figs. 14–18, 27B, 25, 28)
Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ (MPEG): Brasil [= Brazil], Pará, Peixe-Boi / Fazenda Abalém [Abalém Farm], 15.VII.2021 / R. F. Silva [collector], hospedeiro [= host]: Cornitermes pilosus.
PARATYPES. Same data as holotype, 5 ♂♂ and 5 ♀♀ in MZSUP (MZSP 21290, MZSP 21291) (1 ♀ and 1 ♂ dissected in slides, and 8 specimens in alcohol 70%); 5 ♂♂ and 5 ♀♀ in MPEG (in alcohol 70%); 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ in the CESP (in alcohol 70%); and 5 ♂♂ and 5 ♀♀ in the FMNH (in alcohol 70%).
Diagnosis. Paratergites fused neither to each other nor to tergites and sternites; sclerotized areas of abdomen mostly light brown, with a large white-colored membranous area exposed in dorsal view. Head with vertex bearing two pairs of bristles, one bristle behind the eye and one on medial-posterior area. Elytra trapezoid with anteromesial border barely scaled. Hind wing membrane shed during post-imaginal growth. Posterior margin of sternite VIII with four bristles.
Description. Male—length ~ 1.3 mm (Figs. 14C–D); female—length ~ 1.4 mm (Figs. 14A–B).
Head subquadrate, about as wide as long, widest behind eye, almost narrowing posteriorly; eye about 1/3 of head length; vertex bearing two pairs of bristles: one bristle behind eye and one bristle on medial-posterior region (Fig. 15A). Antenna: scape longer than remainder antennomeres, except antennomere XI; antennomere XI about three times longer than wide and more than twice longer than antennomere X; antennomeres II–VI elongate, gradually decreasing in length, antennomeres VII–X moniliform. Mouthparts. Labrum more than twice wider than long, with slight sinuous anterior margin; five main long bristles on each lateral half, arranged in two diagonal rows each with two bristles and one bristle placed above middle of labrum length (Fig. 15C); epipharynx covered with sensilla and numerous short bristles, two of which longer. Mandible apex narrow, bearing a tooth on mesal region; with many punctuations on basal two thirds (Figs. 15B, 18A–C). Labium with ligula narrowed at base and with a median-apical emargination, resulting in two lobes; mentum and submentum distinct, both trapezoidal, with three bristles distributed on each lateral margin, as follows: apical, pre-apical, and proximal (Fig. 17D).
Thorax. Elytra trapezoidal, longer than wide and wider at posterior region (Fig. 16C), covering mesonotum and metanotum; anteromesial border barely scaled in internal view (Figs. 17A–B); covered with long bristles. Hind wing membrane shed during post-imaginal growth, present as a stump (Fig. 16B).
Abdomen with short tergites and with secondary sclerotization, not reaching inner paratergites; outer paratergites close to sternites margin by the former secondary sclerotization; inner and outer paratergites not fused (Fig. 27B); first segment represented by a weak sclerotized tergite joined to metanotum (Fig. 16B); sternites III–V with sparsely distributed pores; tergite VII (Figs. 16D, 18D–E) subquadrate, wider than long, with two rows of bristles, two bristle on medial region and six bristles on posterior half, anterior margin with conspicuous glandular area; tergite VIII (Fig. 16G) almost subquadrate, with two rows of bristles, each with six main long bristles on medial and posterior regions, and with six moderated sized bristles on posterior margin; sternite VIII (Fig. 16H) subquadrate, with acute posterior margin, with a row of six medial bristles, a row of eight posterior bristles, and four moderated sized bristles on posterior margin; male sternite IX (Fig. 16F) elongate and tongue-shaped, with four bristles on posterior half; female sternite IX represented by a pair of hemisternites laterally attached to tergite IX (Fig. 16I); tergite X (Fig. 16E) not bilobed, with three long bristles on each lateral half and two bristles on medial region.
Etymology. The specific epithet “ pilosus ” referring to the host species “ C. pilosus ”.
Geographic distribution. Brazil (Pará).
Host termites. This species was found in epigeal (above-ground) nests of Cornitermes pilosus. This is the first record of a termitophilous rove beetle in the nest of this termite species.
Notes on behavior. During laboratory observations (Fig. 1F), T. pilosus sp. nov. appears to be completely integrated into the colony of its host termite, since no agonistic interactions were observed, and the termites were seen palpating the beetles’ antennae, mouthparts, and abdomens. This species spent much of its time with the distal region of abdomen curled up over its body, not leaving the dorsal portion of the abdomen exposed. However, on other occasions, the abdomen was extended, exposing the tergites, which attracted termites that licked the gland present on tergite VII.
Discussion. Termitozophilus pilosus sp. nov. is similar to T. parapilosus sp. nov. in having abdominal sclerites mostly light brown and paratergites fused neither to each other nor to tergites and sternites (Figs. 27A–E). See discussion under T. favachoi sp. nov. and T. parapilosus sp. nov. for the resemblances and differences between these species.
description: Published as part of Silva, Ruan Felipe Da, Zilberman, Bruno & Carvalho-Filho, Fernando Da Silva, 2022, Hidden Brazilian Amazon diversity: four new species, redescription and notes on natural history of Termitozophilus Silvestri, 1901 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), pp. 501-534 in Zootaxa 5209 (5) on pages 517-522, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5209.5.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7469353