Abstract
We redescribe the winged imagos and soldiers of two equatorial African species, Neotermes aburiensis Sjöstedt and N. agilis (Sjöstedt) and describe their unique character attributes. The imago of N. aburiensis is adorned with unique spatulate-pointed setae. The soldier of N. aburiensis is unique among Neotermes in possessing a phragmotic forehead. The imago of N. agilis is small and unique among Neotermes in having complete coalescence of radial sector and median veins in the forewing while the soldier of N. agilis has a broad pronotum.
Highlights
Neotermes Holmgren consists of 117 extant species (Krishna et al 2013) making it the second largest kalotermitid genus after Glyptotermes Froggatt
Coaton’s 1955 lateral drawing of the N. aburiensis soldier head capsule hints of a frontal cleft, and he notes that the “frons is depressed medially, bordered behind by a distinct, concavely curved ridge”
Summary
Neotermes Holmgren consists of 117 extant species (Krishna et al 2013) making it the second largest kalotermitid genus after Glyptotermes Froggatt. 48 species are described from the soldier or the imago only and 17 (16 from soldier only) are described from mainland China (Krishna et al 2013). Soldiers possess a long head lacking prominent anterolateral prominences and a faintly depressed frons with a slope of less than 45 degrees (Krishna 1961). We recently acquired specimens of N. aburiensis and N. agilis both of which, coincidently, transcend the morphological boundaries of Neotermes given above. To contribute to a clearer understanding of African Neotermes, we redescribe these two species, including a first description of the N. agilis soldier, and highlight their unique morphological characters
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