Noirotitermes noiroti Cancello & Myles 2000

Noirotitermes noiroti Cancello & Myles 2000

Imago (Figs. 1). Head capsule brown; frontal marks semicircular, paler; fontanelle spot oval, also paler; ecdisial line faint (Fig. 1 A). Postclypeus a little paler than head capsule, with a conspicuous midline. Pronotum light brown, conspicuously paler than head, with faint midline and two pairs of paler spots near anterior margin (Fig. 1 C). Meso- and metanotum very light brown, paler than pronotum. Tergites light brown, a little paler than pronotum. Sternites very light brown to light brown, darkest near posterior end of abdomen. Legs light yellow-brown. Wing scales approximately same color as tergites; wings with SC and RS about the same color as wing scale; membrane brownish, transparent. Head capsule, postclypeus, and pronotum with many long and short bristles; their sockets conspicuously paler than head. Labrum with about 10 long bristles and scattered short ones, with conspicuous sockets (Fig. 1 D). Pronotum with many bristles of variable size, absent around center and paler anterior spots; with a fringe of bristles along margins (Fig. 1 C). Meso- and metanotum with a few short bristles. Tergites and sternites densely covered with inclined bristles, and a row of long erect bristles on posterior margin. Wings with many curved and inclined hairs; spacing among them about equal to their length. Head capsule rounded in plan. Compound eyes circular, medium sized (Fig. 1 B). Ocelli large and conspicuous (Fig. 1 B). Postclypeus conspicuously inflated (Fig. 1 B), with front margin straight, and hind margin convex (Fig. 1 A). Mandibles with large apical teeth (Fig. 1 H); left M3 much shorter than M1; margin between M1 and M3 sinuous; M4 hidden underneath the molar prominence in dorsal view; right M2 very small; molar plate concave, without ridges. Left mandible index 1.5. Antenna with 15 articles: 1> 2> 6> 5 = 4> 3. Each tibia with 2 apical spurs. Protibia with a line of small spurs on inner margin (Fig. 1 G). Pronotum a little narrower than head, with anterior margin nearly straight; sides rounded and converging; posterior margin slightly emarginate. Hind margin of mesonotum with a broad, shallow and angular incision; hind margin of metanotum rounded, with a narrow incision. Wing microsculpture nearly absent, with only small punctuations in the proximal anterior portion (Fig. 1 F); very faint R1 joining costal margin near basal line.

Measurements of 4 individuals (mm): width of head without eyes 0.65–0.66; length of head 0.41–0.45; length of postclypeus 0.19–0.21; width of postclypeus 0.38–0.4; max. width of ocellus 0.08; max. diameter of eye 0.21–0.22; width of pronotum 0.56–0.58; length of pronotum 0.31–0.35; length of metatibia 0.84-1.06.

Soldier. Figs. 2 A-C. Described by Cancello & Myles 2000.

Worker. Mandibles in Fig. 2 D. Described by Cancello & Myles 2000.

Material examined. BRAZIL. State of Ceará. Crato: soldiers and workers, 05.x.2004, A. Vasconcellos leg. (UnB- 6721, UnB-6722). Distrito Federal. Fazenda Água Limpa: soldiers and workers, 19.xi.2007, A.M.A. Pessoa leg. (UnB- 7295). State of Minas Gerais. João Pinheiro: soldiers, 09.vii.2007, A.L. Evangelista leg. (UnB-7465). State of Tocantins. Dianópolis, Fazenda Novo Iguaçu: soldiers, workers, imagoes, 23.ix.2003, D.L. Bernardo leg. (UnB-5039).

Comparisons. The imago of N. noiroti agrees with the diagnosis of the Syntermitinae presented by Constantino & Carvalho (2011). Noirotitermes noiroti is among the smallest species of Syntermitinae and only a few Armitermes, Curvitermes, Embiratermes, and Paracurvitermes are in the same size range. The imagos of Cornitermes, Procornitermes, Rhynchotermes, and Syntermes have mandibles with much shorter apical teeth, molar plates with ridges and a left mandible index of about 0.4. Imagos of Armitermes, Embiratermes, and Labiotermes have a left mandible index between 0.7 and 1.1, and those of the genera Curvitermes, Cyrilliotermes, and Paracurvitermes have a left mandible index around 2.0. For the three genera with unknown imagos, one can expect mandibles similar to those of their workers. The left mandible index of workers for these three genera are as follows: Cahuallitermes: 0.5; Ibitermes: 0.9; and Macuxitermes: 1.2.

Remarks. The soldiers of all examined samples show relatively uniform size and morphology. The worker mandibles illustrated by Cancello & Myles 2000 (p. 537, Fig. 9) are clearly worn and therefore look different from the ones shown in this paper (Fig. 2 D).

Biology. Noirotitermes noiroti has been recorded in cerrado (savanna) and caatinga vegetation (xeromorphic dry forest), where it was found in diffuse galleries in the soil and inside epigeic nests built by other, undetermined, termite species (based on collector's notes). One sample was found in a eucalypt plantation. It seems to be relatively rare, but it is also difficult to find and collect due to its small size and subterranean habit.