First records of the minor pest termite Eucryptotermes hagenii (Müller, 1873) (Blattodea, Termitoidae, Kalotermitidae) from the Chaco Dominion in Argentina

Abstract

Eucryptotermes Holmgren, 1911, comprises 2 species of Neotropical drywood termites with phragmotic head soldiers. We report the presence of Eucryptotermes hagenii (Müller, 1873) in native forests of the Chaco Dominion and Chaco Province, enlarging its distribution and recording the genus and species for the first time in Argentina. Eucryptotermes hagenii abundance was estimated as intermediate by standardized sampling. Eighteen morphometric characters were measured in soldiers and alates, and 9 of them provided new data. The colonies, located inside living trees trunks and dead wood, were composed of reproductives, soldiers, pseudergates, and immatures.

New records of four termite species in the genus Embiratermes Fontes, 1985 (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae) from South America

“…The elevational range extension for E. spissus from 269 m in Guyana to 1104 m in Peru (Table 1) is also noteworthy. Newly identified range extensions of Embiratermes and other South American termites (e.g., Eucryptotermes hagenii (Müller,1873) (Godoy et al 2018), Dentispicotermes cupiporanga Bandeira & Cancello, 1992 (Issa and Scheffrahn 2020), or Termes hispaniolae (Banks, 1918) (Scheffrahn 2020) are usually in the range of 1,000 km. This exemplifies 1) the lack of termite collecting expeditions to some regions, and/or 2) field surveys that are limited to small area transects (e.g., Dahlsjö et al 2020;Palin et al 2011) the latter of which often do not include termite-rich microhabitats (e.g., wood, mounds, aerial nests; Scheffrahn 2019b).…”

Expanded New World Distributions of Genera in the Termite Family Kalotermitidae

“…Soldiers are unmistakable for the scooped-out forehead shape. Two species are described; E. hagenii (Müller) from southeastern Brazil ( Fig 6 and Constantino, 1997) and Argentina (Godoy et al, 2018), and E. breviceps Constantino from central Amazonia (Constantino, 1997). A recent collection Table 1).…”