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. 2016 Oct 11:(623):43-60.
doi: 10.3897/zookeys.623.9677. eCollection 2016.

Proneotermes macondianus, a new drywood termite from Colombia and expanded distribution of Proneotermes in the Neotropics (Isoptera, Kalotermitidae)

Robin Casalla  1 , Rudolf H Scheffrahn  2 , Judith Korb  3
Affiliations

Proneotermes macondianus, a new drywood termite from Colombia and expanded distribution of Proneotermes in the Neotropics (Isoptera, Kalotermitidae)

Robin Casalla et al. Zookeys. .

Abstract

After more than one hundred years, a new drywood termite of the genus Proneotermes is described from the tropical dry forest in the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Morphological and genetic analyses are given for Proneotermes macondianussp. n. This termite occurs in tropical dry forests in small colonies inside thin branches of dry wood. The soldier of Proneotermes macondianus is smaller and the genal horns are angled outward compared to the other two described Proneotermes species. The imago wings are unusually short and wide. Genetic analyses for COII, 12S, and 16S genes show less than three percent difference between sample localities of Proneotermes macondianus. Intergeneric comparison with selected kalotermitid genera indicates that Bifiditermes is the most closely related genus of those sequenced. New morphological descriptions and morphometric measurements of Proneotermes latifrons based on the soldier caste are also included. Neotropical locality records for Proneotermes latifrons and Proneotermes perezi are provided.

Keywords: Northern Colombian coast; Proneotermes keys; Proneotermes macondianus sp. n.; tropical dry forest.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Sampling localities for Proneotermes macondianus sp. n in Colombia and new records from University of Florida collection for Proneotermes latifrons and Proneotermes perezi.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Proneotermes macondianus sp. n. imago: A Head in dorsal B lateral, and C whole body in lateral. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Proneotermes macondianus sp. n. Alate: A fore- and hindwing, scale bar: 5 mm. Soldier: B mandibles, scale bar: 1 mm.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Soldier heads of Proneotermes macondianus sp. n. (A–C), Proneotermes latifrons (D–F), Proneotermes perezi (G–I). Head in dorsal (A, D, G), lateral (B, E, H) and ventral position (C, F, I). Arrow in 4C denote genal horn projected prominently in Proneotermes macondianus sp. n. Scale bars: 1 mm.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Bayesian inference tree, inferred with MRBAYES from COII sequence data (nodes show posterior probability support). Kalotermitidae distribution (X), Species distribution known (O), unknown (?) and established introductions from other regions (I). Neartic = Nea, Neotropic = Neo, Ethiopian = Eth, Paleartic = Pal, Oriental = Ori, Australian = Aus, Papuan = Pap. Distribution based on Krishna et al. 2013.
Figure S1.
Figure S1.
Macrophotography of Proneotermes macondianus sp. n. alive from National Park Tayrona. Santa Marta. Magdalena Colombia. Two soldiers (one partly hidden), some pseudergates (whitish, red arrow), two larva (yellow arrow), two eggs (green arrow), and some dry pellets.
Figure S2.
Figure S2.
Dry pellets of Proneotermes macondianus sp. n. Scale bar 1 mm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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