ETHIOPIAN NASI l I l ERMIT1 N A E 



Nasutitermes chrysopleura (Sjostedt) 

 (Text-figs. 6, 7, and 200; Map 3) 



27 



/ ntcrmes chrysopleura Sjostedt, 1X97 : 126. Type locality 

 Termes {Eutermes) chrysopleura (Sjostedt) I icmkmix, 1904a 

 Eutermes chrysopleura Sjostedt ; Sjostedt, 1926 : 324. 

 Nasutitermes chrysopleura (Sjostedt) Snyder, [949 271. 



: Caheroun, Victoria. 



41 



Imago. Head 1 apsule brown, post lypeus, antennae yellow-brown. Pronotum pale brown, 

 legs yellow-brown. Abdominal tergites brown, sternites pale brown round stigmata, yellow- 

 brown in middle. Wings missing in ( <>ts pe Colours may be faded m old specimen. 



Posterior margin Of head behind eyes nearly semi-circular ; fontanellc distinct, pale, tapering 

 posteriorly, and concave rather than bifun Qterior end ; eyes medium sized, only 



moderately prominent in proportion to own diameter, nearlj 1 m ular, W E index 3-0 ; Hi 



medium sized, separated from eyes by half own gi liameter, oval ; postclypeus weakly 



inflated, width 3-8 times length, anterior margin nearly straight, posterior margin convex, 

 widely arched, distinctly sinuate towards outer corners antennae damaged, II and V sub- 

 equal, slightly shorter than IV, 111 longer than IV. Meso- and metanota with very wide- 

 angled posterior margins (en 1 very short, only about two thirds width at base, nearly 

 1 oni( al 



Measurements (single paratype specimen) in millimetres 



I lead width across eyes 







1*53 



Greatest diameter of eye 







°'5° 



Ocellus .... 







O 14 OK) 



1 d (litis to eye 







O OC) 



Width of pronotum 







. 



1 ,eng1 h ill pronotum . 







. 



Length of hind tibia 







t-95 



This species is known only from the type material It closely resembles 

 N. latifrons, which is common in the vicinity of the type locality, and it may 

 ultimately prove to be the same species. There are how ever certain differences, 

 even from the A : . latifrons from the same area, and it max be that N. chrysopleura is 

 the at present unknown imago of .V. diabolus. The length of the head capsule to the 

 front of the postclypeus is slightly but distinctly more than its width behind the 

 eyes. In N. latifrons these dimensions are equal. The posterior margins of the 

 meso- and metanota are more widely angled in .V. chrysopleura. Though this is 

 not usually a specific character in Nasutitermes, they appear to be consistently more 

 narrowly angled in N. latifrons. The posterior margin of the postclypeus in N. 

 latifrons tends to be straighter, slightly angled in the middle instead of curved, and 

 not sinuate towards the outer corners. The 9 cerci are also slightly longer and more 

 mamilliform in N. latifrons. 



N. chrysopleura is therefore retained as a separate species until further specimens 

 are found to clarify its identity. It is unlikely to be confused with any other species, 

 being larger than the rest of those having a short wide postclypeus. 



Material. Cameroun : Victoria, ix.1873 (Bucholz), single paratype $ imago, 

 A.M.N.H. (Holotype, in Mus. Greifswald). 



