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Lacessititermes Yamanei and Hospitalitermes Seikii Two New Species of Open-Air Processional Termites from West Sumatra, Indonesia

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Lacessititermes Yamanei and Hospitalitermes Seikii Two New Species of Open-Air Processional Termites from West Sumatra, Indonesia Malayan Nature Journal 2010, 62(4), 349-358 Lacessititermes yamanei and Hospitalitermes seikii two new species of open-air processional termites from West Sumatra, Indonesia SYAUKANI1 Two new species of open-air processional termites, Lacessititermes yamanei n. sp. and Hospitalitermes seikii n. sp. (Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae), are described from Sumatra, Indonesia. The entirely black rostrum separates L. yamanei from the other Lacessititermes species. Gold-orange abdominal tergites and strongly constricted head capsule are unique to H. seikii among the Hospitalitermes species. Keys to the seven species of Lacessititermes and nine species of Hospitalitermes so far known from Sumatra are given. Keywords. Termite, new species, Lacessititermes, Hospitalitermes, Nasutitermitinae, Sumatra. INTRODUCTION Open-air processional termites consist of the genera Longipeditermes, Lacessititermes and Hospitalitermes, all belonging to the higher termite family Termitidae. The members of this group forage above ground or on leaf litter in processional columns (Tho 1992, Jones and Gathorne-Hardy 1995, Miura and Matsumoto 1998). Two types of soldier caste (dimorphism) are found in Longipeditermes: large and small (Thapa 1981, Tho 1992, Gathorne-Hardy 2001, Miura and Matsumoto 1998). The taxonomy of these open-air processional species is still confused, and their phylogeny poorly understood (Haviland 1898, John 1925, Kemner 1934, Snyder 1949, Ahmad 1958, Thapa 1981, Tho 1992). Lacessititermes and Hospitalitermes have long been recognized as distinct genera among the nasus termites (Holmgren 1913). However, morphological characters differentiating them have hardly been established thereafter (e.g., Tho 1992). In the worker caste, the present of a notch on the molar plate of the right mandible distinguishes Lacessititermes from Hospitalitermes. Seventeen species of Lacessititermes are currently known from the Indo-Malayan and Austro-Malayan subregions (Prasetyo 2007). Among them only five species have been collected 1 Biology Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Syiah Kuala University, Darussalam 23111, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Email: [email protected] Manuscript submitted: 5th January 2010 Manuscript accepted: 28th October 2010 349 from Sumatra proper (Holmgren 1913-14, John 1925, Kemner 1930, Snyder 1949, Prasetyo 2007), and an additional species from Siberut Island of the Mentawai group located off West Sumatra (Syaukani 2008). Hospitalitermes termites march above the ground in a foraging excursion with up to 500,000 individuals (Collins 1979). Tho (1992) mentioned that Hospitalitermes has a dimorphic worker caste, while Miura (2004) found three types of worker (major, medium and small) for H. medioflavus (Holmgren). As many as 36 species of this genus have been described from Indo-Malayan and Austro-Malayan subregions (Prasetyo 2007), and eight species have been recorded from Sumatra (Snyder 1949). In this paper I describe Lacessititermes yamanei sp. nov. and Hospitalitermes seikii sp. nov. based on the material from West Sumatra, Indonesia. MATERIALS AND METHODS The specimens collected were put in sampling vials with 80% ethanol in the field and brought to the laboratory for closer examination (for the collection data, see below). Soldier heads, bodies (in profile) and pronota of both species were photographed with a digital microscope, KEYENCE HFVH-8000. Mandibles of workers and antennae of soldiers and workers were removed and examined on glass slides mounted with Euparal 3C 239 (Waldeck GmbH & Co. KG). The slides were photographed with a Nikon digital camera (Coolpix 3340) attached to a Nikon Eclipse E600. Multi-focused montage images were produced using Helicon Focus 4.03 Pro. Morphological terminology used for soldier and worker follows Roonwal and Chhotani (1989), Thapa (1981), Tho (1992), Sands (1998), Prasetyo (2007), and Syaukani (2008). In addition to the present material, specimens of other related species were examined at the Biodiversity Laboratory, Kagoshima University, Japan, and Biology Department, Syiah Kuala University, Indonesia. Final taxonomic confirmation was made by examining a number of type-series at the Natural History Museum (London, UK) with the assistance of the Termite Research Group. DESCRIPTIONS Lacessititermes yamanei n. sp. (Figs. 1-3, 7, 8, 11, 12, 15) This species has more than one size class in both soldier and worker castes; the holotype was selected from among the largest soldiers. Holotype: Soldier collected from a carton nest (SYK2008-P-002; Fig. 17) in a disturbed forest (900 m a.s.l) at Air Sirah, Lubuk Selasih, Gunung Talang, Solok, West Sumatra, Indonesia by Sk. Yamane on 14 October, 2008. The nest hung from 350 branches of a tree, at approximately 2 m high from the ground. Its diameter was estimated at approximately 20 cm from the pictures taken by the collector. The nest was constructed with dead leaves, wood pieces and soil mixed together. Depository: Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Cibinong (Indonesia). Paratypes: Soldiers and workers from the same colony to which the holotype belongs. Depository: Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Cibinong (Indonesia), the Natural History Museum (UK), the Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History (Japan), the American Museum Natural History (USA), and Syiah Kuala University (Indonesia). Soldier (largest): Head capsule entirely black; whole rostrum black; antenna dark sepia brown to black with the first segment darker than the subsequent. Head capsule in dorsal view very weakly constricted behind antennal sockets, with posterior margin roundly convex; dorsal outline (including rostrum) in profile strongly concave. Antenna with 14 segments; third segment shorter than fourth; fourth longer than fifth; 6th-14th gradually becoming elongate toward apex. Pronotum in dorsal view dark sepia brown, slightly paler than head capsule; its anterior margin nearly straight, and posterior margin weakly indented in the middle. Coxae sepia brown; femora dark sepia brown to black; tibiae pale brown. Abdominal tergites brown to dark sepia brown. Table 1. Measurements (mm) for holotype and paratypes (soldiers) of L. yamanei Characters Holotype Paratypes Head length including rostrum 2.05 2.01-2.05 Head length measured to base of mandibles (HL) 1.27 1.25-1.28 Rostrum length (RL) 0.80 0.79-1.80 Rostrum index = RL/HL 0.65 0.64-0.65 Minimum head width (at anterior part) 0.83 0.80-0.85 Maximum head width (at posterior part) 1.10 1.00-1.14 Maximum height of head excluding postmentum 0.84 0.82-0.84 Pronotum length 0.36 0.35-0.36 Pronotum width 0.72 0.71-0.73 Worker (largest): Antenna pale brown to brown with the first segment darker than the subsequent, consisting of 15 segments; fourth segment broader than third and fifth, but slightly shorter than fourth; fifth and sixth almost equal in length; 7th-15th gradually becoming elongate toward apex. Left mandible with apical tooth shorter than first marginal tooth; third marginal moderately protruding from cutting edge; fourth completely hidden behind molar prominence. Right mandible with 351 posterior edge of second marginal tooth weakly concave; inner layer of molar plate nearly straight; notch moderately developed. Etymology: This species is named after Seiki Yamane, who collected the specimens. Remarks: In the soldier caste, L. yamanei sp. nov. is easily distinguished from the other species of the genus by the almost entirely black head capsule and rostrum. Furthermore, in dorsal view, L. piliferus differs from the new species in having the head capsule moderately constricted behind antennal sockets, and in the yellow to pale brown pronotum. The dark rostrum with a reddish tip shared by L. albipes and L. batavus separates these two from L. yamanei. The absence of lighter parts at the tip and base of the rostrum separates L. yamanei from both L. laborator and L. sordidus. Key to the species of Lacessititermes known from Sumatra based on the largest soldiers and workers 1 - Soldier: rostrum dark sepia brown to black, without a reddish tip. ….…...................… 2 - Soldier: rostrum with a reddish tip; rest of rostrum dark. ……………..…..................... 3 - Soldier: middle third of rostrum darker, tip and base of rostrum lighter. ....................…5 2(1) - Soldier: head capsule almost entirely black, and in dorsal view very weakly constricted behind antennal sockets; pronotum dark sepia brown; antenna dark sepia brown to black; abdominal tergites brown to dark sepia brown. ………...….........……......... L. yamenei - Soldier: head capsule sepia brown to dark sepia brown, with anterior part slightly paler than posterior part; head capsule in dorsal view moderately constricted behind antennal sockets; pronotum yellowish to pale brown; antenna and abdominal tergites yellow to pale brown. …..…...............…….................................................................. L. piliferus 3(1) - Soldier: head capsule dark sepia brown to blackish; antenna yellowish; rostrum very long and down-curved apically. [Worker: posterior margin of right mandible moderately concave.] ………….…….............………….............................................. L. longinasus - Soldier: head capsule pale brown to brown; antenna brownish; rostrum shorter, not down- curved. …………………………………………..…….................................................. 4 4(3) - Soldier: in dorsal view posterior margin of head capsule indented in the middle; anterior margin of pronotum moderately indented in the middle; abdominal tergites dark sepia brown; third
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