Termitotrox icarus sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): a new termitophilous beetle from Myanmar with observations of carrying behavior by host termites

Kakizoe Showtaro, Liang Wei-Ren, Myint Khin Mar, Maruyama Munetoshi
Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 60(2): 427-436, 2020
Published online: 28th July 2020
Views: 5592
Abstract: A new species of scarab beetle, Termitotrox icarus sp. nov., is described from central Myanmar, being the third representative of the genus Termitotrox Reichensperger, 1915 from the Indo-Chinese Subregion of the Oriental Region. The majority of the type series was collected from the walls of fungus garden chambers built in the nests of the termite Odontotermes proformosanus Ahmad, 1965. Termitotrox icarus sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from the known Termitotrox as it possesses wing-shaped trichomes on the elytra, the more elongate habitus shape in dorsal view, the basomedian section of pronotum not protruding backwards, a pair of distinct costae on the pronotal basomedian section strongly developed, a median costa on anterior pronotal margin strongly developed, the elytral striae narrower than interstriae, the lack of trichomes at the base of elytral sutural stria, and a mid-range body length of 1.5–1.9 mm. The ‘carrying behavior’ by the host termites is reported for the first time for Termitotrox and a strategy for the dispersal of flightless termitophilous scarabs is hypothesized.
Key words: Coleoptera, Aphodiinae, Termitotrogini, Blattodea, Termitidae, Macrotermitinae, new species, egg gigantism, phoresy, termite association, Indo-Chinese Subregion, Oriental Region
Papers
Binhon atrum Pic – a junior synonym of Plastocerus thoracicus, with nomenclatural notes on Plastocerus (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Plastocerinae)A review of Gnathoncus of Southeast Asia (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Saprininae)Two new species and new records of darkling beetles of the tribe Helopini from Turkey and Cyprus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)Rhagovelia species from Nosy Boraha east of Madagascar (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae)Termitotrox icarus sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): a new termitophilous beetle from Myanmar with observations of carrying behavior by host termitesNew records of Platynectes (s. str.) diving beetles from South America with description of two new species (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Agabinae)Taxonomic study of the genus Epiphragma of Japan (Diptera: Limoniidae)Three new species of bristletails of the families Meinertellidae and Machilidae (Archaeognatha) from Ukraine and Southern RussiaReview of the genus Cladiscus (Coleoptera: Cleridae) from Japan and Taiwan, with descriptions of two new speciesA predicted new Geotrupes from the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico, and a description of the male of Geotrupes lobatus (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae)Trihelota, a new and unusual helotid beetle genus from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Helotidae)Review of two Tonnoir moth fly species, overlooked for a century (Diptera: Psychodidae: Psychodinae)The monocotyledon-feeding lace bugs of the genus Agramma from Japan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae)The first record of Archiclaviger in continental Asia, with description of a new species from China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae)Dictyopharidae of Nepal (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha), with description of a new genusRevision of the New Zealand endemic genus Phormiobius (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae)Taxonomy, annotated new records and a checklist of Mymaridae (Hymenoptera) of Finland, with description of a new species of EustochusNew species and records of Coryphiini from China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae)Redescription of Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae), with three new synonyms from ChinaReview of the genus Prolactistes (Heteroptera: Cydnidae), with two new combinations, first Indonesian records and a key to species of the genusA review of the Stenus aureolus group of China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)Review of the tribe Typoderini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Caucasus with the description of a new species of Caulomorphus from ArmeniaReview of the genus Cupecuara (Coleoptera: Disteniidae)Two new species of the subgenus Arqueozodes of Lasionota from Aysén Patagonian steppe Region in Chile (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)Oblongiala zimbabwensis, a new assassin bug genus and species from Zimbabwe, with a key to the Afrotropical genera of Peiratinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae)Commented catalogue of Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with remarks on the collection of Jaro Mráz in the National Museum in Prague