Towards a revision of the Neotropical soldierless termites (Isoptera : Termitidae): redescription of the genus Anoplotermes and description of Longustitermes, gen. nov.*
Thomas Bourguignon A , Rudolf H. Scheffrahn B , Jan Křeček B , Zoltán T. Nagy C , Gontran Sonet C and Yves Roisin A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, CP 160/12, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
B University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, 3205 College Avenue, Davie, FL 33314, USA.
C Joint Experimental Molecular Unit, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.
D Corresponding author. Email: yroisin@ulb.ac.be
Invertebrate Systematics 24(4) 357-370 https://doi.org/10.1071/IS10012
Submitted: 5 May 2010 Accepted: 8 October 2010 Published: 13 December 2010
Abstract
Soldierless termites are well represented in the Neotropics where they constitute about one-third of the total termite species richness. However, despite their substantial diversity, they have been neglected by most taxonomists because they lack soldiers. Species identification therefore relies upon worker characters, in particular the anatomy of the digestive tract and the enteric valve armature. Here, in order to provide a solid basis for future taxonomic work on this group, we supply detailed descriptions of the type species of the genus Anoplotermes, A. pacificus, and of a few common and widespread species, which we retain in Anoplotermes: A. banksi, A. parvus and A. janus, sp. nov. We transfer Anoplotermes manni to a new genus, Longustitermes, and place six species into synonymy. This redefinition of the genus Anoplotermes is complemented by DNA sequences of four genetic markers to allow species identification by molecular techniques and future phylogenetic studies. This study represents a first step towards a complete revision of the neotropical Anoplotermes-group.
Additional keywords: molecular phylogeny, new species, taxonomy.
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