Termitomorpha Wasmann 1894
Creators: name: Caron, Edilson
name: Bortoluzzi, Sidnei
name: Rosa, Cassiano S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Termitomorpha

description: Termitomorpha alata Caron & Bortoluzzi, sp. nov.
(Figs. 34–63, 67–69)
Type material. HoLotype: maLe (photo, Figs. 34–36), deposited in DZUP, in microviaL with gLycerin, abdomen dissected and its parts fiXed on transparent pLastic microsLide with Canada baLsam, LabeLs: " BRASIL, PR,/PaLotina UFPR,/in Nasutitermes /sp., nest in Ficus /sp. 30–XI– 2016,/E. Caron & S./BortoLuzzi (Leg.)", "Hospedeiro: Nasutitermes / corniger (MotschuLsky) /identified by ELiana CanceLLo", " HOLOTYPE / Termitomorpha alata /Caron & BortoLuzzi". Two paratypes, pinned, femaLes, one entire dissected in DZUP and another in microviaL with gLycerin in FMNH, both with the same LabeLs of hoLotype.
Diagnosis. Termitomorpha alata sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus by the wings weLL-deveLoped. AdditionaLLy, T. alata may be distinguished from T. sinuosa by pronotum with straight LateraL margins and from T. manni by base of pronotum evidentLy notched at middLe.
Description. Male. MaXimum body Length: 4.5 mm; maXimum eLytraL width: 0.7 mm. Head, pronotum and eLytra dark-brown (Figs. 34–35), abdomen somewhat reddish-brown with segments 3 to 4 Lighter than the rest and absence of visibLe membranous areas between abdominaL segments; appendices uniformLy reddish-brown. DorsaL surface of head, pronotum and eLytra gLossy with sparse setigerous pores. Head subQuadrate (Fig. 37). Eyes subeQuaL to tempLes. Antenna strongLy genicuLate (Fig. 40); articLe 1 nearLy the Length of 2–5 combined, not compressed at the base; articLe 2 sLightLy Longer than 3; 3 one- fourths Longer than 4; 4 subeQuaL in Length to 5; articLes 6–10 decreasing in Length; articLe 11 nearLy the Length of 9–10 combined and pair of coeLoconic sensiLLa. Front-cLypeus strongLy eLevate for a short distance anterior to antennaL fossae, and then steepLy decLivous (Fig. 38); anterior margin somewhat truncate to sLightLy emarginate (Fig. 37). Labrum with anterior margin feebLy emarginate (Fig. 41). MandibLes symmetricaL (Fig. 43); each broad, with sharp subapicaL tooth and huge membranous prostheca (Figs. 43, 50). MaXiLLa with gaLea narrower than Lacinia (Figs. 44, 46–47); gaLea and Lacinia curved on the same direction; apeX of Lacinia with a prominent spine-Like (Figs 44, 47); maXiLLary paLpus 4 segmented, articLe 2 the Longest, 3 subgLobose, the widest and concave on internaL face (Fig. 48), articLe 4 subuLate. Labium with a smaLL median scLerotized part of the LiguLa (Figs. 42, 49); LabiaL paLpus 3 segmented, articLe 1 the Longest and widest, articLe 2 the wider and shorter than 3. Mentum with anterior margin sLightLy arcuate (Fig. 39). GuLar pLate narrow, narrowest on the apicaL third-fourths (Fig. 39). Pronotum subQuadrate (Fig. 45); strongLy conveX, with somewhat depression on LongitudinaL mid-Line; anterior margin broadLy arcuate; LateraL margins straight; posterior margin with deepLy notched at the middLe, sinuous on each haLf-LateraL. ELytra sLightLy narrowing to the apeX; each with acute tooth at the anteromediaL border in internaL view, tooth Long and somewhat scaLed (Fig. 51). Hind wings weLLdeveLoped. TarsaL formuLa 5–5–5; tarsomere 1 the Longest; tarsomeres 4 and 5 aLmost fused; protibia with microsetae on aLmost internaL margin. Abdomen somewhat physogastric, aLmost two times wider than eLytra and the maXimum width on segment 4; anterior margin of tergite 7 with conspicuous pair of gLanduLar area (Figs. 52– 55); posterior margin of sternite 7 broadLy emarginate (Fig. 56); posterior margin of sternite 8 strongLy emarginate (Fig. 57); tergite 9, each LateraL piece separated by tergite 10 and with narrow and eLongate ventraL struts (Fig. 58); sternite 9 sLender, eLongate and curved dorsaLLy to apeX (Fig. 58, arrow); posterior margin of tergite 10 rounded. Aedeagus very weakLy scLerotized (Fig. 59); median Lobe with apicaL one-fourths somewhat sharp and apeX curved ventraLLy (Fig. 59b thin arrow); parameres weLL-deveLoped and foLLow the aLeocharine pattern, incLuding pair of conspicuous setae on apeX (Fig. 59b, boLdarrow).
Female. SimiLar to maLe, eXcept of posterior margin of sternite 7 Less broadLy emarginate (Fig. 60); sternite 8 with posterior margin sLightLy pointed at the middLe (Fig. 61); tergite 9 without ventraL struts (Fig. 62); sternite 9 consisting of pair of hemisternites, each two times as Long as the maXimum wide, base the widest (Fig. 62, arrow); spermatheca smaLL with capsuLe of subsphericaL shape (Fig. 63).
Geographical records. The species is known onLy from the type LocaLity, a smaLL urban area (aLmost 5.0 ha) of AtLantic forest attached the FederaL University of Paraná, at the municipaLity of PaLotina, Paraná, BraziL (Fig. 67).
Host termites. This species is found in arboreaL nests of Nasutitermes corniger (MotschuLsky), hosted in Ficus sp. (Figs. 68, 69). The termite was identified by Dr. ELiana M. CanceLLo and deposited under "MZUSP 26895" at the ZooLogicaL Museum of the University of São PauLo (MZUSP).
Biological notes. The arboreaL nest was fiXed on Ficus sp., but the tree was dropped and the nest was in contact with the soiL (Figs. 68, 69). The study of the nest was carried out in Lab and aLL specimens of T. alata sp. nov. were found inside of the nest.
Etymology. The specific name "aLata" is a Latin adjective that means "winged," an aLLusion to weLL- deveLoped wings this species and uniQue for the genus. The adjective is of feminine gender agreeing with the gender of the genus.
Remarks. ALL species of Termitomorpha currentLy described have vestigiaL wings (Seevers 1957, Kistner & Jacobson 1976, Kistner 2006). However, Kistner & Jacobson (1976, page 11) mentioned one not named specimen that had wing with "normaL staphyLinid venation", so we understand that it had weLL-deveLoped wings. Here, we have the second record of weLL-deveLoped wings species in Termitomorpha. ALL eXamined specimens of T. alata sp. nov. have weLL-deveLoped wings.
description: Published as part of Caron, Edilson, Bortoluzzi, Sidnei & Rosa, Cassiano S., 2018, Two new species of obligatory termitophilous rove beetles from Brazil (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Termitomorpha Wasmann), pp. 566-578 in Zootaxa 4413 (3) on pages 571-577, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4413.3.10, http://zenodo.org/record/1227839