Nasutitermes aurantius (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae), a new nasutiform termite species from Panama and a key to soldiers of Central American Nasutitermes Dudley, 1890

By

Scheffrahn, Rudolf H.
Wang, Menglin
Bourguignon, Thomas
Rocha, Mauricio
Cancello, Eliana Marques
Roisin, Yves
Hellemans, Simon

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-10-17

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1256

Pages

163--177

Subjects

Biodiversity , enteric valve armature , identification key , Mitogenome , nasutitermitine , Neotropics , phylogenetic reconstructions , taxonomy , Termites

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1256.158192

 

Abstract

Nasutitermes aurantiussp. nov., is described from Central Panama. The soldier is unique among Central American Nasutitermes by its small size and orange head capsule coloration. The enteric valve armature is also unique among congeners. The new species constitutes the seventh Nasutitermes species in the region for which the soldier is described. We provide a key to all Central American Nasutitermes soldiers. Our phylogenetic reconstructions indicate that N. aurantiussp. nov. is more closely related to the Afrotropical Nasutitermes lujae than to any other Neotropical Nasutitermes.