A taxonomic review of the Indian endemic genus Labiocapritermes Krishna, 1968 (Blattodea: Isoptera: Termitidae) with description of two new species from Kerala, India

Amina, Poovoli; Rajmohana, Keloth

doi:10.48311/jibs.11.4.1013

A taxonomic review of the Indian endemic genus Labiocapritermes Krishna, 1968 (Blattodea: Isoptera: Termitidae) with description of two new species from Kerala, India

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Poovoli Amina ¹

Keloth Rajmohana ²

¹ Department of Zoology, MES Asmabi College, P. Vemballur, Kodungallur, Thrissur, Kerala- 680664, India

² Zoological Survey of India, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata-700053, India

10.48311/jibs.11.4.1013

Abstract

Labiocapritermes Krishna, 1968 (Blattodea: Isoptera: Termitidae), endemic to the Southern states of India, has been a monotypic genus. The genus is reviewed and two new species, Labiocapritermes microcephalus Amina & Rajmohana sp. nov., and Labiocapritermes wayanadensis Amina & Rajmohana sp. nov. from Kerala, India are described. A dichotomous key to all three species is provided, along with their distribution map. Distribution data suggest a high elevation affinity to the genus. The genus is documented both in natural and managed habitats. Typically, group III and IV soil-feeding termites are underrepresented in agricultural plots, with higher abundance in less disturbed habitats. In contrast, the present study records L. wayanadensis from a rubber plantation and L. distortus from a tea plantation, suggesting a degree of tolerance to habitat disturbance. This study provides the first documentation of Labiocapritermes occurrence in a managed habitat.

Graphical Abstract

A taxonomic review of the Indian endemic genus Labiocapritermes Krishna, 1968 (Blattodea: Isoptera: Termitidae) with description of two new species from Kerala, India

Keywords

Dichotomous key

morphometrics

Oriental

Pericapritermes

termites

Amina, P. & Rajmohana, K. (2013) First record of the genus Ceylonitermellus Emerson (Isoptera —Termitidae—Nasutitermitinae) in southern India, based on a new mainland species from the Kerala ghats. Colemania, 39, 1–10.

Amina, P. & Rajmohana, K. (2014) Status, diversity and significance of termites (Insecta: Isoptera) of Kerala. Proceedings of the National Conference on Modern Trends in Zoological Research. March 21–26, 2013. St. Aloysius College, Ernakulam, Kerala. p. 254–258.

Amina, P. & Rajmohana, K. (2016) Glyptotermes chiraharitae n. sp., a new dampwood termite species (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) from India. Zoosystema, 38 (3), 309–316. https://doi.org/10.5252/z2016n3a2

Amina, P., Rajmohana, K., Dinesh, K.P., Asha, G., Sinu, P.A. & Mathew, J. (2019) Two new species of an Indian endemic genus Krishnacapritermes Chhotani (Isoptera: Termitidae) from the Kerala part of the Western Ghats, India, Oriental Insects, 54 (4), 496–513. https://doi.org/10.1080/00305316.2019.1683091

Amina, P., Rajmohana, K., Dinesh, K.P. & Asha, G. (2022) Integrative taxonomic studies on Rinacapritermes Amina & Rajmohana, n. gen. (Blattodea: Isoptera: Termitidae) with two new species from India. Zoosystema, 44 (3), 109–124. https://doi.org/10.5252/zoosystema2022v44a3

Bose, G. (1984) Termite fauna of southern India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, 49, 1–270 + [1].

Chhotani, O.B. (1997) The fauna of India and the adjacent countries. Isoptera (Termites) (Family Termitidae). Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, 2, 1–800.

De Souza, O.F.F. & Brown, V.K. (1994) Effect of habitat fragmentation on Amazonian termite communities. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 10, 197–206. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467400007847

Eggleton, P. (2011) An introduction to termites: biology, taxonomy and functional morphology. In: Bignell, D.E., Roisin, Y. & Lo, N. (eds) Biology of Termites: A Modern Synthesis. Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3977-4_1

Eggleton, P., Bignell, D.E., Hauser, S., Dibog, L., Norgrove, L. & Madong, B. (2002) Termite diversity across an anthropogenic disturbance gradient in the humid forest zone of West Africa. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 90, 189–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8809(01)00206-7

Fontes, L.R. (1987) Morphology of the alate and worker mandibles of the soil–feeding nasute termites (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae) from the Neotropical region. Revista Brasileira De Zoologia, 3, 503–531. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0101-81751986000400003

Gathorne-Hardy, F. (2001) A review of the south–east Asian Nasutitermitinae (Isoptera: Termidae [sic]), with descriptions of one new genus and a new species and including a key to the genera. Journal of Natural History, 35, 1485–1506. https://doi.org/10.1080/002229301317067647

Hellemans, S., Rocha, M.M., Wang, M., Romero Arias, J., Aanen, D.K., Bagnères, A.G., Buček, A., Carrijo, T.G., Chouvenc, T., Cuezzo, C., et al. (2024) Genomic data provide insights into the classification of extant termites. Nature Communications, 15 (1), 6724. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51028-y

Jones, D.T. & Eggleton, P. (2010) Global biogeography of termites: a compilation of sources. In: Bignell, D.E., Roisin, Y. & Lo, N. (eds) Biology of Termites: A Modern Synthesis. Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 477–498. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3977-4_17

Krishna, K. (1968) Phylogeny and generic reclassification of the Capritermes complex (Isoptera, Termitidae, Termitinae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 138 (5), 261–323.

Krishna, K., Grimaldi, D.A., Krishna, V. & Engel, M.S. (2013) Treatise on the Isoptera of the world: Vol. 6. Termitidae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 377, 1988–2432. https://doi.org/10.1206/377.6

Silvestri, F. (1922) Descriptions of some Indo–Malayan species of Capritermes (Termitidae). Records of the Indian Museum, 24 (4), 535–546. https://doi.org/10.26515/rZSI/ v24/i4/1922/162715

Verma, S.C. (1983) A new species of the termite genus Pericapritermes Silvestri (Termitidae: Termitinae) from Kerala, India, with distributions and keys to Oriental species of the genus. Indian Journal of Forestry, 6 (4), 296–301.