A new species of Ereymatermes Constantino (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae) from the northeastern Atlantic Forest, Brazil

Abstract

Ereymatermes Constantino is a nasute genus endemic to the Neotropical region, which included Ereymatermes rotundiceps Constantino from the forest of the lower Japurá River, AM, Brazil, and E. panamensis Roisin from the Panama Canal area. Herein Ereymatermes piquira, a new species from the northeastern Atlantic Forest, is described and illustrated based on the soldier and worker castes. The meaning of the two types of workers ("worker with broad gap" and "worker with narrow gap") and its relation to feeding habits are discussed.

Differentiation of workers into soldiers is associated with a size reduction of higher-order brain centers in the neotropical termite Procornitermes araujoi

“…One epigeal nest was fragmented with the aid of a pickaxe and carried to the laboratory where termites were carefully removed with forceps and placed on 9 cm Petri dishes filled with moistened filter paper. Revisions on the genus Procornitermes did not indicate the occurrence of polymorphism within workers and soldiers 50 , 51 . Thus, we consider individuals as monomorphic during our samplings.…”

Tiunatermes mariuzani gen. nov. et sp. nov., a new nasute termite from the Brazilian savannah (Isoptera: Termitidae)

“…; Cyranotermes karipuna Rocha et al . ; Ereymatermes piquira Cancello & Cuezzo ; Ngauratermes arue Constantino & Acioli ; Obtusitermes formosulus Cuezzo & Cancello ; Paraconvexitermes acangapua Cancello & Noirot ; Sinqasapatermes sachae Cuezzo & Nickle ).…”

First record of Ereymatermes rotundiceps (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) as inquiline of Embiratermes neotenicus (Termitidae: Syntermitinae) in the Colombian Amazon

“…The genus Ereymatermes (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) includes three described species: Ereymatermes rotundiceps Constantino, 1991, from forests of the lower Japurá River region, Amazonas, Brazil; E. panamensis Roisin, 1995, from the Panama Canal area, andE.piquira Cancello &Cuezzo, 2007, from the Atlantic Forest. Although the genus was described as related to the other Neotropical genera of soilfeeding nasutes, Cancello and Cuezzo (2007) suggest that they probably do not feed at the end of the humification gradient, based on the morphology of the worker and their subterranean habit.…”