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Seventy-four species, forms and varieties of Cubitermes Wasmann, 1906 have been studied, including taxa placed in synonymy with other species. Within this group of taxa, the enteric valve, mainly of the workers and soldiers, provided the best and the only clear-cut criteria for distinguishing some major subsets that are proposed here as species groups.The genus Cubitermes is re-described; the morphologies of the enteric valves are described in detail including the number of spatulae at the downstream end of the primary cushions; the possible presence of crests or bulges near the downstream end of the primary cushions; the overall shape of the primary cushions; the number of lateral supporting bristles; the kind of symmetry of the valve; and the structure of the secondary cushions. These characteristics are used to define nine species groups. For now, these groups have no taxonomic ranking but are helpful as regards species recognition. Identification keys for species groups are provided for soldiers and workers together with a partial key for imagines. Geographical ranges of the groups are also provided. On the basis of enteric valve morphology, some synonymies can no longer be validated: (a) C. planifrons Sjöstedt, 1924 is not a synonym of C. fungifaber (Sjöstedt, 1896); (b) C. kemneri Emerson, 1928 is not a synonym of C. zenkeri (Desneux, 1904); and (c) C. fungifaber var. elongata Sjöstedt, 1924 does not belong to the species C. fungifaber. Cubitermes planifrons and C. kemneri become valid again and C. fungifaber var. elongata is an invalid name.
Several taxonomic groups within Empidoidea Latreille, 1809 have been subject to unclear phylogenetic assignments along with multiple parallel hypotheses causing difficulties in classification and morphological identification. This study reviews the internal classification of the Ragadidae and includes a diagnosis and description of all included subfamilies and genera based on the results of an analysis of morphological characters using maximum parsimony. Illustration of important characters and a key to all genera in the family is given. The genus Hormopeza Zetterstedt, 1838 is found to be most closely related to Anthepiscopus Becker, 1891 and Iteaphila Zetterstedt, 1838, and the subfamily Iteaphilinae Wahlberg & Johanson, 2018 is therefore expanded to also include that genus. Hormopeza is consequently excluded from Ragadinae Sinclair, 2016. This study provides diagnoses, descriptions and keys in a contribution to a thorough classification of the empidoid groups and increased ease in morphological recognition.
The new genus and species Campydoroides manautei Holovachov gen. et sp. nov. is placed in the suborder Campydorina and is characterised by a transversely striated cuticle without lateral alae, body pores or epidermal glands; somatic sensilla only on pharyngeal region and on tail; a truncate labial region with papilliform inner labial, outer labial and cephalic sensilla; a stirrup-shaped amphid with transverse slit-like opening; a conoid stoma with strongly cuticularised walls and large protrusible dorsal tooth; a cylindrical pharynx with distinct basal bulb but without valves; a large ovoid cardia; didelphic, amphidelphic female gonads with antidromously reflexed ovaries and without spermatheca; a transverse vulva; a straight vagina without pars refringens vaginae or epiptygmata; an elongate tail with caudal glands and spinneret. The new genus is similar to the genera Campydora Cobb, 1920 and Udonchus Cobb, 1913 in having papilliform labial and cephalic sensilla, a stirrup-shaped amphid with a transverse slit-like opening, a stoma with a well-developed protrusible dorsal tooth, and a muscular pharynx with a strongly developed basal bulb, but can be easily separated from both in details of a stoma morphology. The systematics of the suborder Campydorina is revised. Halirhabdolaimus Siddiqi, 2012 is synonymised with Syringolaimus de Man, 1888.