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We report, for the first time, the presence of the termite Ereymatermes rotundiceps Constantino, 1991 as an inquiline of the termite Embiratermes neotenicus (Holmgren, 1906) in the Colombian Amazon, and provide new morphometric information on the species. Soldiers of E. rotundiceps were collected in epigeal nests built by E. neotenicus in pastures during the transition from the dry to the rainy season. The association between host and inquiline termites does not seem to be antagonistic, but the relationship between these two species still needs to be clarified. RESUMEN Reportamos por primera vez la presencia de la termita Ereymatermes rotundiceps Constantino, 1991 como inquilino de Embiratermes neotenicus (Holmgren, 1906) en la Amazonia Colombiana y aportamos nueva información morfométrica para las especies. Soldados de E. rotundiceps fueron recolectados en nidos epigeos construidos por E. neotenicus en pasturas durante la transición de la estación seca a la lluviosa. La asociación entre las termitas hospederas e inquilinas parece no ser antagónica, sin embargo, las relaciones entre estas dos especies están aún por esclarecer.

Twelve new localities are reported for the following four Embiratermes species: E. ignotus Constantino, 1991; E. latidens (Emerson & Banks, 1957); E. silverstrii (Emerson, 1949); and E. spissus (Emerson & Banks, 1957). The new localities extend the distribution span from 940 km up to 1,800 km. Embiratermes latidens is recorded beyond Amazonia for the first time. The enteric valve armature for workers of these species is provided.

Rhynchotermes armatussp. nov. is described from soldiers and workers collected in the Magdalena River Valley of Colombia. Both castes of this new termite are superficially similar to R. perarmatus (Snyder) but the former are smaller, head capsules yellowish instead of reddish, and among additional characters, the soldier has narrower mandibles and marginal teeth.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:59:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-04-26 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Lignocellulose digestion in termites is achieved through the functional synergy between gut symbionts and host enzymes. However, some species have evolved additional associations with nest microorganisms that collaborate in the decomposition of plant biomass. In a previous study, we determined that plant material packed with feces inside the nests of Cornitermes cumulans (Syntermitinae) harbors a distinct microbial assemblage. These food nodules also showed a high hemicellulolytic activity, possibly acting as an external place for complementary lignocellulose digestion. In this study, we used a combination of ITS sequence analysis, metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics to investigate the presence and differential expression of genes coding for carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZy) in the food nodules and the gut of workers and soldiers. Our results confirm that food nodules express a distinct set of CAZy genes suggesting that stored plant material is initially decomposed by enzymes that target the lignin and complex polysaccharides from fungi and bacteria before the passage through the gut, where it is further targeted by a complementary set of cellulases, xylanases, and esterases produced by the gut microbiota and the termite host. We also showed that the expression of CAZy transcripts associated to endoglucanases and xylanases was higher in the gut of termites than in the food nodules. An additional finding in this study was the presence of fungi in the termite gut that expressed CAZy genes. This study highlights the importance of externalization of digestion by nest microbes and provides new evidence of complementary digestion in the context of higher termite evolution. Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC) Laboratório Nacional de Biorrenováveis (LNBR) Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM) Graduate Programme in Industrial Biotechnology Universidade Positivo Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology Institute of Biology University of Campinas Programa em Processos Tecnológicos e Ambientais Universidade de Sorocaba (UNISO) Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Center for the Study of Social Insects São Paulo State University (UNESP) Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology UR 4443 University Sorbonne Paris Nord Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Center for the Study of Social Insects São Paulo State University (UNESP) FAPESP: 2015/21497-6 FAPESP: 2018/22839-6

The complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of two higher termites were reconstructed from the metagenomes of individual gut compartments with more than 2000-fold coverage. The circular mitogenomes of Labiotermes labralis (accession number KY436201) and Embiratermes neotenicus (accession number KY436202) have a length of 15,935 and 15,868 bp and an overall G + C content of 30.7 mol% and 33.7 mol%, respectively, and both have an asymmetric nucleotide composition. Genome structure and orientation are the same as in other termites and in the ancestral insect mitogenome. These data further expand arthropod mitogenome databases, which have become an important resource in ecological, phylogenetic and evolutionary studies.

The queens of social insects differ from sterile colony members in many aspects of their physiology. Besides adaptations linked with their specialization for reproduction and extended lifespan, the queens also invest in the maintenance of their reproductive dominance by producing exocrine chemicals signaling their presence to the nestmates. The knowledge of the chemistry of queen-specific cues in termites is scarce. In addition to the contact recognition based on cuticular hydrocarbons, long-range signals mediated by volatiles are expected to participate in queen signaling, especially in populous colonies of higher termites (Termitidae). In queens of the higher termite Silvestritermes minutus (Syntermitinae), we have detected a previously undescribed volatile. It is present in important quantities on the body surface and in the headspace, ovaries, and body cavity. MS and GC-FTIR data analyses led us to propose the structure of the compound to be a macrolide 10-pentyl-3,4,5,8,9,10-hexahydro-2 H-oxecin-2-one. We performed enantiodivergent syntheses of two possible enantiomers starting from enantiopure ( S)-glycidyl tosylate. The synthetic sequence involved macrolide-closing metathesis quenched with a ruthenium scavenging agent. The absolute and relative configuration of the compound was assigned to be (5 Z,9 S)-tetradec-5-en-9-olide. Identification and preparation of the compound allow for investigation of its biological significance.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T02:47:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-01-01 Cornitermes cumulans (Kollar, 1832) is a mound-building termite that stores food nodules in the nest, which seems to be pre-chewed and regurgitated by workers. Information on the food resources used by this species is still scarce, and this study aimed to understand the feeding habits of C. cumulans using a qualitative analysis of the worker gut contents, and to select the best food to keep termites under laboratorial conditions. Thus, four food resources and five artificial diets were tested to evaluate the laboratory survival of C. cumulans. Food nodules from nests were used as a positive control, and no food was available in cages for negative control. Ten replicates using 30 workers plus three soldiers were performed for each type of food and for each control. The experiments were daily examined for termite survival during a 40-day period. Data were analyzed using the log-rank (Mantel-cox) test (P < 0.05). The qualitative analysis of the gut contents showed different materials, such as plant parts, fungi, and minerals. Data analysis showed that all of the survival curves of termites fed with artificial diets and food items were significantly different from that obtained with termites fed on food nodules, which showed the highest survival, followed by the diets of α-cellulose, corn stalk, and sugarcane bagasse. Then, our findings showed that the most adequate artificial foods to maintain populations of C. cumulans in the laboratory were the diets of α-cellulose, corn stalk, and sugarcane bagasse. Lab de Cupins Depto de Biologia Instituto de Biociências Univ Estadual Paulista UNESP Center for Natural and Human Sciences Federal Univ of ABC UFABC Lab de Cupins Depto de Biologia Instituto de Biociências Univ Estadual Paulista UNESP

Embiratermes parvirostris Constantino 1992 is recorded for the first time in Colombian Amazon in soil of secondary rain forest. With current report E. parvirostris distribution is not only restricted to east and southwest Amazon, but includes northwest Amazon too. But, the distribution of this species continues being restricted to the Amazon basin.

International audience; Mercury pollution is currently a major public health concern, given the adverse effects of mercury on wildlife and humans. Soil plays an essential role in speciation of mercury and its global cycling, while being a habitat for a wide range of terrestrial fauna. Soil fauna, primarily soil-feeding taxa that are in intimate contact with soil pollutants are key contributors in the cycling of soil mercury and might provide relevant indications about soil pollution. We studied the enrichment of various mercury species in the nests and bodies of soil-feeding termites Silvestritermes spp. in French Guiana. Soil-feeding termites are the only social insects using soil as both shelter and food and are major decomposers of organic matter in neotropical forests. Nests of S. minutus were depleted in total and mobile mercury compared to nearby soil. In contrast, they were enriched 17 times in methylmercury. The highest concentrations of methylmercury were found in body of both studied termite species, with mean bioconcentration factors of 58 for S. minutus and 179 for S. holmgreni relative to the soil. The assessment of the body distribution of methylmercury in S. minutus showed concentrations of 221 ng g−1 for the guts and even higher for the gut-free carcasses (683 ng g−1), suggesting that methylmercury is not confined to the gut where it was likely produced, but rather stored in various tissues. This enrichment in the most toxic form of Hg in termites may be of concern on termite predators and the higher levels in the food chain that may be endangered through prey-to-predator transfers and bioaccumulation. Soil-feeding termites appear to be promising candidates as bio-indicators of mercury pollution in soils of neotropical rainforest ecosystems.

The ornaments inside the first proctodeal segment of the digestive tube in thirty-three species of the termite subfamily Syntermitinae are described and illustrated, encompassing all genera of the subfamily. The occurrence, type and pattern of the ornamentation reveal a wide morphological diversity. A first proposal for classification and nomenclature of these structures and coverage patterns is included, as well as a discussion of possible functions.

Laboratory assays using animals require strategies to avoid stress and keep animals alive as long as the test demands. Termites live in a constant dark environment in their nests, but in studies that demand video recording, termites are exposed to light. Since light is a condition opposed to what termites naturally live, it is possible that this condition might stress termites. To find how suitable are lights in video recording termites, we evaluated the effect of infrared lights and cold white light in the survival of workers of \textit{Cornitermes cumulans} (Termitidae: Syntermitinae) confined in Petri dishes. We compared the survival of termites in the light treatments and termites kept in the dark. As our null hypothesis, time until death would not differ between termites exposed to cold white lights, infrared lights, and termites kept in the dark. We found that the survival of \textit{C. cumulans} workers was not affected by light since there was no statistical difference in the mortality between the three treatments. Here we show that both infrared lights and cold white lights can be used in lab assays to video record termites, as such lights did not affect workers survival.

Rhynchotermes nasutissimus (Silvestri) is a leaf litter feeder species distributed through the Neotropical region. We found for the first time this species associated with rat carrion in an urban area of Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil. Ten soldiers and 36 workers were spread in the cavities and between internal leathers of the carrion’s dry remains of the animal that have been exposed during a week in the soil, in March 2012, at end of the wet season. We believe that this uncommon behavior may reflect a nutritional need. Primeiro Registro de Rhynchotermes nasutissimus (Silvestri) (Isoptera: Syntermitinae) Associado à Carcaça de Rato em Brasília, Brasil Resumo. Rhynchotermes nasutissimus (Silvestri) é uma espécie que se alimenta de folhas de serrapilheira, distribuída pela região Neotropical. Encontrou-se pela primeira vez esta espécie associada com carcaça de rato, em uma área urbana de Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil. Os dez soldados e 36 operários se encontravam dispersos entre as vértebras e restos secos do animal que foi exposto durante uma semana no solo em março de 2012, final da estação chuvosa. Acredita-se que este comportamento raro seja resultado de alguma deficiência nutricional.

The Neotropical termite genus Uncitermes Rocha & Cancello, 2012 was known from a single species, Uncitermes teevani (Emerson, 1925). In this paper a new species, Uncitermes almeriae sp. n., is described and illustrated from worker and soldier castes, along with observations on the Uncitermes nest. A distribution map with the occurrences of both species is presented. The new species is distinguished from its congener by the presence of short bristles covering the head capsule and frontal tube.

A new species of termite, Macuxitermes colombicus Postle & Scheffrahn is described from soldiers and workers collected from Departamento Magdalena, Colombia. The soldier of Macuxitermes colombicus differs from its lone congener in having no protuberances on the head capsule.

In general, the exocrine glands of social insects are structures involved in the chemical communication associated with social life. Here, we report the discovery of an unknown tegumental gland that is present in the female imagoes of Cornitermes cumulans and occurs next to the well-developed tergal glands that have previously been described. The tegumental glands release their secretion in the intersegmental membrane and are composed of bicellular units, a secretory cell and a canal cell, that are closely located to the epidermal cells in the inferior part of the eighth and ninth tergites. The ultrastructure of the glandular cells showed abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum, suggesting that the secretion may be pheromonal, although its function is still unknown. These exocrine structures are facing the tergal glands, and we hypothesized that they act synergistically with the tergal glands to generate short-range attraction during tandem behavior. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Eight species of termite from the Amazon and Orinoquia regions, belonging to four genera of the subfamily Syntermitinae, are recorded for the first time in Colombia. The species are Cornitermes cumulans (Kollar, 1832), Cornitermes pilosus Holmgren, 1906, Cornitermes ovatus Emerson, 1952, Cornitermes snyderi Emerson, 1952, Mapinguaritermes peruanus (Holmgren, 1906), Rhynchotermes amazonensis Constantini & Cancello, 2016, Rhynchotermes perarmatus (Snyder, 1925), and Uncitermes teevani (Emerson, 1925). Diagnostic characteristics and geographic distributions for the recorded species are provided, with detailed photographs of the soldier caste. The diversity and distribution of indigenous termite species in Colombia are documented.

A nivel mundial, los isópteros revisten especial importancia desde el punto de vista ecológico y económico. En general, actúan como descomponedores del material vegetal y en el reciclaje de nutrientes, operando en algunos casos como especies claves y como indicadores de calidad de hábitat. Este grupo de insectos se alimenta de materiales ligno-celulósicos en diferentes grados de descomposición y su alimento determina el rol ecológico que cumplen en los ecosistemas, de allí la importancia de identificar los sustratos consumidos a fin de reconocer e interpretar los procesos en que participan. Existen varias clasificaciones de las termitas en relación sus hábitos alimentarios, en las cuales los caracteres morfológicos y aspectos ecológicos determinan grupos más o menos definidos. Una de las clasificaciones más ampliamente aceptada propone una división en cuatro grupos alimentarios (I, II, III y IV), relacionando caracteres de la morfología externa y anatomía interna de las obreras con su contenido intestinal. Por otro lado, si bien la clasificación de termitas en grupos alimentarios se considera importante para estudios ecológicos, tales grupos no alcanzarían para determinar precisamente la composición del alimento consumido por cada especie ni para establecer límites netos entre diferentes tipos de dieta. En cambio, el análisis de contenido intestinal es considerado uno de los métodos más eficientes para precisar los sustratos alimentarios consumidos. Por otro lado, los organismos xilófagos resultan considerablemente peligrosos porque pueden producir graves daños en maderas urbanas y en particular, las actividades de las termitas sobre viviendas y otras estructuras de madera ocasionan notables impactos económicos en todas las regiones donde se hallan presentes. Varias especies del género Nasutitermes son capaces de dañar madera de construcciones y en Argentina han sido reportadas como plagas de construcciones tres especies de este género. A pesar de su importancia económica, son escasos los análisis de consumos de maderas y preferencias alimentarias de las termitas perjudiciales a construcciones en nuestro país, o que podrían resultar plagas urbanas potenciales. En este marco, el objetivo general de la Tesis fue ampliar el conocimiento de los hábitos nutricionales de termitas de las subfamilias Nasutitermitinae y Syntermitinae, con énfasis en las especies distribuidas en el NEA. Para ello, se analizaron diversos caracteres morfo- anatómicos de obreras a fin de establecer su correspondencia con los ítems alimentarios consumidos, detectados mediante el análisis del contenido intestinal, e inferir los grupos tróficos a que pertenecen estas especies. Asimismo, se analizó el consumo de maderas y las preferencias alimentarias de tres especies de Nasutitermitinae perjudiciales a edificaciones en la región. El material biológico analizado comprendió, para los análisis de los caracteres morfo-anatómicos del tubo digestivo, caracteres mandibulares y examen de contenido intestinal, seis especies de termitas de la subfamilia Nasutitermitinae: Nasutitermes rotundatus, N. corniger, Cortaritermes fulviceps, Constrictotermes cyphergaster y Diversitermes diversimiles y cinco de la subfamilia Syntermitinae: Procornitermes striatus, Embiratermes festivellus, Syntermes obtusus, Cornitermes cumulans y Labiotermes laticephalus. Se analizaron ejemplares de la casta de obreras, debido a que es la única casta capaz de obtener alimentos crudos o inalterados, en contraposición a los soldados y reproductores que reciben alimentos parcialmente elaborados. Para evaluar las preferencias alimentarias, se trabajó con individuos vivos de tres especies de Nasutitermitinae frecuentes en el NEA y que han sido reportada como perjudiciales a edificaciones urbanas y rurales de la región: Nasutitermes aquilinus, N. corniger y C. fulviceps. Se analizaron 22 caracteres morfológicos externos e internos de obreras, considerados como significativamente asociados con las variaciones en el contenido intestinal, para lo cual se realizaron disecciones del tubo digestivo y mandíbulas de obreras de cada especie. Además, se examinó el contenido del tercer segmento proctodeal, el cual fue diluido y homogeneizado con agua destilada y colocado en una cámara cuentaglóbulos o hemocitómetro. El contenido se analizó bajo microscopio binocular y se tomaron fotografías digitales, en las cuales se identificó la presencia de los diversos ítems alimentarios. Las preferencias alimentarias sobre maderas se evaluaron mediante bioensayos de laboratorio en los que se ofrecieron simultáneamente a cada colonia seleccionada, cuatro especies de maderas de uso frecuente en construcciones urbanas y mobiliarios en la zona. Las maderas utilizadas en las experiencias fueron dos especies exóticas (Eucalyptus grandis y Pinus elliottii) y dos especies indígenas (Prosopis alba y Patagonula americana). Se cortaron bloques de 2 x 2 x 10 cm que se secaron en estufa a 105 °C durante 5 h, se pesaron con balanza de precisión, se humedecieron con un aspersor con agua destilada y se colocaron en los recipientes de experimentación. Se seleccionaron a campo nidificaciones de N. aquilinus, N. corniger y C. fulviceps que fueron medidas, extraídas y trasladadas al laboratorio en recipientes plásticos. En el bioterio, los nidos se colocaron en contenedores de vidrio y las colonias se mantuvieron sin suministro de alimentos durante 48 horas, antes de cada ensayo. Al cabo de 14 días de oferta de las maderas, se retiraron los bloques para su evaluación cuantitativa y cualitativa. La dentición mandibular y los caracteres intestinales mostraron notables variaciones entre géneros y especies de Nasutitermitinae y Syntermitinae, algunas de las cuales se relacionaron con el tipo de dieta. Se identificaron diferentes patrones morfológicos, según las afinidades en la configuración intestinal de cada género o especie. Así, se incluyeron en el patrón Syntermes a P. striatus, E. festivellus, S. obtusus, C. cumulans y L. laticephalus. Por su parte, en el patrón Nasutitermes quedaron reunidas N. rotundatus, N. corniger, C. fulviceps, V. heteropterus, C. cyphergaster y D. diversimiles. Entre los principales caracteres morfo- anatómicos observados en el tubo digestivo de las termitas analizadas se destacaron el proventrículo con armadura interna bien desarrollada en todas las especies y con grado variable de esclerotización y desarrollo de los pliegues longitudinales; la unión proventrículomesenterón sin divertículos salvo en P. striatus; el segmento mixto con una prolongación mesentérica única en diez de las especies con excepción de C. cumulans donde fue doble; los cuatro túbulos de Malpighi ubicados en la unión mesenterón– proctodeo en nueve especies excepto en D. diversimiles y en V. heteropterus donde se insertaron proximalmente a esta unión; el primer segmento proctodeal muy largo y con dilatación variable; la ornamentación quitinosa interna de la válvula entérica con simetría bilateral y características diferenciales entre especies tanto en el número, tamaño y disposición de los pliegues como de las espinas observadas en cada caso; el tercer segmento proctodeal dilatado sin divertículos y de morfología variable y el colon tubular y largo en casi todas las especies salvo P. striatus donde fue relativamente corto. El desarrollo de los dientes apicales y marginales, así como las longitudes de los bordes mandibulares y los valores del índice de la mandíbula izquierda permitieron diferenciar las especies analizadas. La morfología de las placas molares de la mandíbula derecha también varió entre las diferentes especies analizadas. E. festivellus y L. laticephalus mostraron placas cóncavas y sin crestas transversales, en tanto que en las dos Nasutitermes y C. fulviceps se reconocieron crestas prominentes y numerosas sobre la placa molar plana. En C. cumulans, P. striatus, S. obtusus, C. cyphergaster, V. heteropterus y D. diversimiles se registraron placas molares cóncavas pero con crestas marcadas. Las variables del tubo digestivo y de las mandíbulas permitieron, mediante el Análisis de Componentes Principales, separar a las especies de Nasutitermitinae y Syntermitinae diferenciando los dos grupos taxonómicos y ordenando a las especies según la posición que ocupan a lo largo del gradiente de humificación o degradación del alimento ingerido. El análisis del contenido intestinal de las obreras permitió determinar con precisión los ítems alimentarios ingeridos y las frecuencias en que los mismos se hallaron en cada especie, diferenciándolas entre sí, salvo en el caso de las dos Nasutitermes en que los ítems y proporciones de consumo coincidieron. Otras dos termitas (L. laticephalus y D. diversimiles) consumieron los mismos ítems, pero éstos se detectaron en diferentes proporciones. El número de ítems ingeridos por cada especie varió entre solo dos categorías en C. cumulans hasta cinco tipos de sustratos diferentes en S. obtusus, L. laticephalus y D. diversimiles. Algunos ítems como el material vegetal en descomposición y los fragmentos de tejido vegetal resultaron frecuentes en la mayoría de las especies en tanto que otros como los poros germinativos e hifas de hongos, granos de polen, sílice y fibras vegetales lignificadas se hallaron restringidos a algunas de ellas. Los registros de esta Tesis confirman las observaciones previas acerca de los sustratos alimentarios consumidos por algunas de las especies analizadas pero en otros casos son nuevos aportes o plantean interrogantes por no haberse detectado los ítems esperados. Estas observaciones, sumadas a los resultados del análisis de agrupamiento, sugieren que las asignaciones de especies a diferentes grupos alimentarios no permiten establecer precisiones sobre la dieta o los sustratos consumidos por cada una. El grupo alimentario II, tal como ha sido definido, agrupó a un conjunto heterogéneo de especies en cuanto a los sustratos consumidos. El presente estudio de contenido intestinal permitió detectar la diversidad y superposición parcial de dietas entre diferentes especies, brindando datos más certeros y detallados sobre los ítems ingeridos por cada una de ellas. Se registraron correlaciones significativas entre los ítems consumidos y algunos caracteres morfológicos como el desarrollo de las crestas de la placa molar, el sitio de unión de los túbulos de Malpighi, el ancho del segmento mixto en su punto más angosto y la longitud relativa de los pliegues columnares del proventrículo en relación al cinturón pulvilar. Los bioensayos de laboratorio referidos a preferencias alimentarias permitieron determinar que todas las maderas ofrecidas fueron consumidas por C. fulviceps, N. aquilinus y N. corniger, por lo que ninguna de ellas se consideró resistente o no palatable. Se registraron diferencias significativas en el consumo total de maderas (F= 10,1017; p 0,05) debido a que N. corniger presentó consumos notablemente mayores que las otras dos termitas, que no mostraron diferencias significativas entre sí. Los mayores valores de pérdida de masa correspondieron, para C. fulviceps, a las dos maderas autóctonas (P. americana y P. alba), en tanto que las dos maderas exóticas (E. grandis y P. elliottii) fueron las más consumidas por N. aquilinus. N. corniger se alimentó en mayor medida de piezas de E. grandis (exótica) y P. alba (nativa). En algunas piezas de E. grandis el porcentaje de pérdida de masa superó el 95% de su valor inicial, es decir que fueron casi totalmente consumidas por N. corniger. No se registraron correlaciones significativas entre los consumos y las propiedades físicas de las maderas ofrecidas, aunque sí con la humedad relativa del ambiente para N. aquilinus. En cuanto al análisis cualitativo de los bioensayos realizados, el 48,33% de las piezas de madera mostraron signos evidentes de ataque de termitas, variando la intensidad de los daños de leves a fuertes. Si bien todas las maderas fueron visitadas por obreras y soldados de las tres especies, al cabo de algunos días las obreras concentraron su alimentación en las maderas de su preferencia, donde las frecuencias de daños fueron mayores. Las diferencias observadas entre las maderas ofrecidas en las frecuencias de niveles de ataque según la escala cualitativa, no fueron significativas para C. fulviceps ni para N. aquilinus pero si para N. corniger con valores más elevados en E. grandis y P. alba. De a acuerdo a los resultados obtenidos en este trabajo de Tesis, pudo concluirse que los caracteres morfo- anatómicos intestinales y mandibulares analizados permitieron separar claramente las subfamilias Nasutitermitinae y Syntermitinae y confirmaron por primera vez, en base a pruebas estadísticas, la relevancia de estos caracteres para la diferenciación de grupos taxonómicos de termitas. Además, se aportaron descripciones novedosas y se detectaron características como la relación longitud de columnas/ pulvilos del proventrículo que están significativamente asociadas a los hábitos alimentarios y resultan de importancia para este tipo de estudios. A través del análisis del contenido intestinal, se pudo comprobar que las características morfológicas mandibulares y del tubo digestivo se relacionaron con la dieta particular de cada especie, que comprendió el consumo de material vegetal en distintos grados de descomposición. Esta diferenciación les permite a las diferentes especies de termitas de una comunidad, evitar la competencia interespecífica, aprovechando al máximo los recursos disponibles. Con respecto a las preferencias alimentarias, se concluyó que las cuatro especies de maderas regionales pueden considerarse susceptibles en distinto grado al ataque de termitas. C. fulviceps y N. aquilinus, de acuerdo a las moderadas tasas de consumo observadas, resultarían posibles plagas urbanas ocasionales, mientras que N. corniger confirmó su categoría de plaga estructural severa en la región. Fil: Etcheverry, Clara. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura; Argentina. Fil: Godoy, María Celina. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura; Argentina. Fil: Diodato, Liliana. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales; Argentina.

Nest plasticity of Cornitermes silvestrii (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae) in response to flood pulse in the Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The Pantanal is one of the largest wetlands in the world. Since many areas in Pantanal are flooded during part of the year, it is expected that plants and animals would have mechanisms for their survival during the flooded period. This study investigated the existence of differences in nest shape and inquilines of Cornitermes silvestrii in areas influenced by the flood pulse. We measured the volume, height, width, and height/width ratio of 32 nests in flooded areas and 27 in dry areas, and performed an one-way-Anova with the quasi-Poisson distribution to determine if there were differences in the nest measurements between the points. To analyze the relationship of nest inquilines to flood pulse and nest shape, we performed a regression with a Poisson distribution with the inquiline richness and flood pulse, and the above measurements. The nests of C. silvestrii in flooded areas were significantly higher than nests in dry areas, and had a larger height/width ratio. Colonies in periodically flooded areas would probably make a larger effort to extend their nests vertically, to maintain at least some portion of the structure out of the water and prevent the entire colony from being submerged. Neither the size of the nest nor the flood pulses influenced the assemblage of 11 species found in nests of C. silvestrii.

O presente trabalho é uma revisão taxonômica do gênero Rhynchotermes Holmgren, 1912 (Termitidae, Syntermitinae), que até esta revisão contava com as sete espécies, a saber: R.nasutissimus (Silvestri, 1901), R. perarmatus (Snyder, 1925b), R. nyctobius Mathews 1977, R. diphyes Mathews, 1977, R. piauy Cancello, 1997, R. guarany Cancello, 1977 e R. bulbinasus Scheffrahn, 2010, ocorrendo na Região Neotropical. Proponho duas espécies novas e duas sinonímias (R. nyctobius sinônimo júnior de R. diphyes e R. guarany sinônimo júnior de R. nasutissimus). Estudei 198 amostras entre as quais as do Museu de Zoologia e emprestadas de outras instituições. Todos os soldados, operários e alados (quando disponível) foram descritos e ilustrados, inclusive tubo digestório do operário que até então havia sido pouco estudado. Também elaborei uma chave dicotômica, baseada na casta do soldado, para identificação de todas as espécies, fiz mapas de distribuição geográfica das espécies, bem como reuni as notas sobre a biologia. This work is a taxonomic revision of the genus Rhynchotermes Holmgren, 1912 (Termitidae, Syntermitinae), that until this revision had seven species namely: R.nasutissimus (Silvestri, 1901), R. perarmatus (Snyder, 1925b), R. nyctobius Mathews, 1977, R.diphyes Mathews, 1977, R. piauy Cancello, 1997, R. guarany Cancello, 1977 e R. bulbinasus Scheffrahn, 2010, occurring in the Neotropical Region. I propose two new species and two synonyms (R. nyctobius junior synonym of R. diphyes and R. guarany junior synonym R. nasutissimus). I have examined 198 samples among which those Museum of Zoology and borrowed from other institutions. All soldiers, workers and winged (when available) are described and illustrated, including the digestive tract of the worker that until then had been little studied. Also dichotomous key was made based on the soldier caste to identification of all species, and maps of the geographic distribution of species, as well a compilation of notes on biology of species.

We herein revise the taxonomy of the Neotropical syntermitine genus Rhynchotermes Holmgren. Seven species were recognized and diagnosis given for all available castes. This includes two new species: Rhynchotermes amazonensis Constantini & Cancello sp. nov. and Rhynchotermes matraga Constantini & Cancello sp. nov. Rhynchotermes guarany Cancello is recognized as syn. nov. of Rhynchotermes nasutissimus (Silvestri) and Rhynchotermes nyctobius Mathews syn. nov. of Rhynchotermes diphyes Mathews. The three other formerly described species include Rhynchotermes perarmatus (Snyder), Rhynchotermes piauy Cancello and Rhynchotermes bulbinasus Scheffrahn. We also provide a key to the soldiers of the genus, a distribution map of the species as well as illustrations and biological notes for all species.

Syntermes emersoni Grasse & Noirot 1949 is an available name of uncertain taxonomic status. It was published in a paper about the nest and biology of the African termite Sphaerotermes sphaerothorax (Sjostedt 1911), with a brief description and a few illustrations (Grasse & Noirot 1949). The description is limited to the following words: "les mandibles du Syntermes emersoni n. sp. resemblent passablement a celles d'un Sphaerotermes mais sont plus grandes" [the mandibles of Syntermes emersoni n. sp. resemble those of Sphaerotermes but are larger]. Specimens examined by the authors and the localities from which they were collected are not mentioned. Although brief and limited, this description satisfies the requirements of availability (ICZN 1999, articles 10-12). Besides the inadequate description, the name is a junior primary homonym of Syntermes emersoni Snyder 1924 and cannot be used as valid.

Thirty-nine available family-group names are identified within the insect order Isoptera (termites). For all names the correct author, date, type genus, and combining stem are provided for the first time. This nomenclatural compilation is done to stabilize the usage of family- group names in the Isoptera in advance of a world catalog. Several problems of priority are identified and discussed. The little understood subfamily Foraminitermitinae is diagnosed; while generally believed by many authors to be a new, unnamed subfamily, it was in fact established by Holmgren nearly a century ago. The subfamilies Syntermitinae and Sphaerotermitinae are newly proposed for the mandibulate genera of nasute termites and for Sphaerotermes, respectively. The classification of Isoptera is briefly outlined.

The taxonomy of the South American termite genus Cyrilliotermes Fontes, 1985 is revised, including an identification keyto soldiers and distribution maps for all species. Two new species are described: C. brevidens and C. crassinasus, bothfrom southeastern Brazil. C. cashassa Fontes, 1985 and C. jaci Fontes, 1985 are both designated as junior synonyms of C. angulariceps (Mathews, 1977), and C. cupim Fontes, 1985 is designated as a junior synonym of C. strictinasus (Mathews, 1977). An updated diagnosis for the genus is presented, including gut morphology. All species are illustrated.

Noirotitermes is a monotypic termite genus known only from Brazil. Noirotitermes noiroti was described based on a single sample from Piauí, Brazil, with only a few soldiers and several workers. Noirotitermes seems to be related to Macuxitermes Cancello & Bandeira 1992, another poorly known monotypic genus of Syntermitinae.

A new species of mandibulate nasute termite, Rhynchotermes bulbinasus Scheffrahn sp. nov. is described from dimorphic soldiers and monomorphic workers discovered in the Caribbean plains of northern Colombia. The new species differs from all other New World Syntermitinae and Nasutitermitinae, in having a nasus with its distal diameter greater than its median diameter. Literature on the genus Rhynchotermes Holmgren is reviewed and field observations of R. bulbinasus are given.