Tucupitermes Almeida-Azevedo, Acioli & Azevedo, 2025
publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5633.1.11 |
publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5D6C0672-7B78-4CE3-B09C-E101DFFDFE47 |
DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15388778 |
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DAE569-EF78-654E-B6C9-717C6E108C84 |
treatment provided by |
Plazi |
scientific name |
Tucupitermes Almeida-Azevedo, Acioli & Azevedo |
status |
gen. nov. |
Tucupitermes Almeida-Azevedo, Acioli & Azevedo gen. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C241F985-DA5D-4CEE-95AD-2AA0A38FAD47
( Figs 1A–E View FIGURE 1 , 2A–K View FIGURE 2 )
Type species: Tucupitermes ubixaba Almeida-Azevedo, Acioli & Azevedo sp. nov. ( Figs 1A–E View FIGURE 1 , 2A–K View FIGURE 2 )
Etymology: From the Tupi-Guarani “ Tiku’pir ”, which means “yellow juice extracted from the root of the wild cassava when peeled, grated and squeezed”, in reference to the color of the worker.
Description
Imago. Unknown.
Genus Diagnosis. Left mandible with a cutting-edge length twice as long as the distance between the apical tooth and M1+2 ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ). Stomodeal valve long, twice as long as the length of the crop. Malpighian ampullae developed and visible in right lateral and ventral views ( Fig. 2B, C, F View FIGURE 2 ). Mesenteric tongue is long and slightly globular, reaching midline of abdomen ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ). Connection between P1 and P3 not visible in any view in situ, with small bilobed seating ( Fig. 2H, I View FIGURE 2 ).
Genus Description
Worker. ( Fig. 1A–F View FIGURE 1 ). Head capsule dark yellow with darker longitudinal muscles converging towards vertex ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Worker with a whitish, convex fontanelle, resembling a drop ( Fig. 1C, D View FIGURE 1 ). Head capsule with few bristles of varying sizes distributed throughout the head, except in the posterior region. Postclypeus small, slightly inflated and with few bristles of the same size as bristles of head capsule ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ). Labrum convex, longer than the postclypeus+clypeus, with bristles thicker than the bristles of head capsule ( Fig. 1C, D View FIGURE 1 ). Antenna with 13 antennomeres, with antennomere I <II, III <than remaining. Mandibles robust; Left mandible with apical tooth shorter than M1+2 ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ); distance between apical tooth and M1+2 is proportionally closer compared to other structures of mandible; cutting-edge length twice as long as the distance between the apical tooth and M1+2 ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ); incision between M1+2 and M3 clear and very distant from M1+2; tooth M3 acute, with short distance between M3 and molar prominence; molar prominence conical, with groove-like texture and scales at its base ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ). Right mandible with apical tooth slightly smaller than M1; right mandible with the first marginal tooth significantly enlarged compared to the other teeth ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ); posterior margin of tooth M1 wider than the molar prominence ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ); margin between teeth M1 and M2 forming angle of 130º ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ); M2 conical; molar plate concave, without grooves, groove-like texture and scales at its base. Yellowish thorax, pronotum wider than half width of head, with many bristles on edges ( Fig. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ); meso- and metanotonum with several bristles on lateral and posterior margins ( Fig. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ). Tibiae lighter than femora ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ); tibiae and femora with many irregular spines on anterior surface ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ); procoxae with a distinct longitudinal row of spine-like bristles on anterior surface ( Fig. 1B, F View FIGURE 1 ). Abdomen translucent, tergites and sternites covered with many bristles of different sizes ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). Measurement (mm) of 20 workers in table 1.
Digestive tube. ( Fig. 2A–K View FIGURE 2 ). Crop small and located immediately after thorax, directed towards right side of body in dorsal view, narrowing toward gizzard ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ). Gizzard vestigial, visible in dorsal and left lateral views, without armour, and with six first-order pulvilli; surface of pulvilli scaly with alternating scales, with posterior part with tiny spines; space between puvilli is smooth; stomodeal valve very long, twice as long as length of crop, and visible through mesenteron ( Fig. 2A, E View FIGURE 2 ); mesenteron uniform, with diameter larger than P1; mesenteron with four well-developed, elongated Malpighian ampullae, with at least two ampullae visible in right lateral and ventral views ( Fig. 2B, C, F View FIGURE 2 ); four independent Malpighian tubules, one in each ampulla ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ). Mesenteric tongue long and slightly globular, almost reaching midline of body ( Fig. 2C, F View FIGURE 2 ). P1 long, starting on the right side of body in ventral view and connecting to P3 on right side, covered by P 4 in dorsal view ( Fig. 2A–C View FIGURE 2 ). Small bilobed seating ( Fig. 2H, I View FIGURE 2 ); P2 not visible externally; asymmetric enteric valve, with three lobes with small, poorly defined scales, each scale with minute spine at apex; three lobes with large, defined scales converging toward median region of the lobe and forming concavity with cluster of minute spines; region between lobes without scales ( Fig. 2J, K View FIGURE 2 ); P3 globular, connecting to P4 by isthmus, visible dorsal view ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ). Isthmus arched, positioned near left anterolateral margin, visible in dorsal view ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ). In dorsal view, P3 wide, with striated appearance just above P4. P4 width twice as small as width of mesenteron in dorsal view ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ). Connection P4 and P5 forming loop facing left side of body, visible in dorsal and left lateral views ( Fig. 2A, D View FIGURE 2 ).
Comparisons
The new genus exhibits external characteristics that are very similar to some species of Aparatermes Fontes, 1986 , such as the coloration of the head capsule and spines present on the legs ( Pinzón Florian et al. 2019) ( Fig. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ). However, the size of the individuals of the new genus exceeds the size of the Aparatermes spp. ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ), and the left mandible of Tucupitermes gen. nov. has a cutting blade length twice as long as the distance between the apical tooth and M1+2, differing from some Aparatermes ( A. abbreviatus , A. silvestrii , A. thornatus – personal observations) ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 and Table 1 View TABLE 1 ). In Aparatermes the mesenteric tongue is short and non-globular, whereas in Tucupitermes gen. nov. is long, widened and slightly globular ( Fig. 2 C, F View FIGURE 2 ). This characteristic is uncommon for medium/largesized Apicotermitinae , being described for Patawatermes Bourguignon & Roisin 2016 , and for small-sized termites, such as Anoplotermes Müller 1873 , Chasitermes Scheffrahn & Carrijo 2023 , Disjunctitermes Scheffrahn 2017 and Humutermes Bourguignon & Roisin 2016 . Furthermore, the P1–P3 connection in Tucupitermes gen. nov. is only visible with dissection ( Fig. 2G, H View FIGURE 2 ), while in Aparatermes it can be observed in dorsal view in situ. The P1–P3 connection visible only with dissection is uncommon in the Neotropical Apicotermitinae , only known for Anoplotermes parvus ( Bourguignon et al. 2010) . The shape and size of the enteric valve seating, which is bilobed, with very small lobes is also unique in the new genus ( Fig. 2I View FIGURE 2 ). The absence of scales around the lobes of the enteric valve of Tucupitermes gen. nov. ( Fig. 2J, K View FIGURE 2 ) is shared with Aparatermes , but also Ruptitermes and Mangolditermes ( Acioli & Constantino 2015; Carrijo et al. 2023), so this structure is not determinant to distinguish these genera.
The length of the stomodeal valve in Tucupitermes gen. nov. is extremely long, and was not previously observed in any other Apicotermitinae . This is also true for the Malpighian ampullae, that have not been reported in any genus of soldierless termites, but it may have gone unnoticed in some species of Aparatermes Fontes, 1986 and Ruptitermes Mathews, 1977 (Personal observations of Aparatermes thornatus , Aparatermes silvestrii and Ruptitermes spp. ). However, these two genera have features distinct from Tucupitermes gen. nov., such as the short mesenteric tongue, the trilobed enteric valve seating, and an enteric valve with well-developed spines ( Fontes, 1986; Pinzón Florian et al. 2019) Acioli and Constantino, 2015).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
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