Abstract
Procryptotermes Holmgren is a modestly diverse kalotermitid genus endemic to numerous islands and archipelagos of the world’s tropical oceans (Scheffrahn & Křeček 2001). Mainland records from southern India (Bose 1979, Roonwal & Chhotani 1963, Thakur 1975), Queensland Australia (Watson and Abbey 1993), and the Yucatan Peninsula (Scheffrahn and Křeček 2001), also approximate oceanic coastlines. The soldier of Procryptotermes is distinguished from most other kalotermitids by long, sickle-shaped mandibles and a rather weak or absent frontal flange or protuberance (Krishna 1961). The winged imago of Procryptotermes is similar to that of Cryptotermes Banks in which the median vein is unsclerotized and intersects the radial sector near mid-wing. Of the fourteen described species of Procryptotermes (Scheffrahn & Křeček 2001), only one species, P. dioscurae Harris 1954, lacks a description of the soldier caste. It was described from three winged imagos collected from lights on Socotra Island, Yemen. Unlike soldiers, the imago caste is not present in the colony year round and often lacks species-level diagnostic characters. Therefore, the description of the soldier caste is highly desirable for most termite species.
References
Bose, G. (1979) A new species from India of the termite-genus Procryptotermes Holmgren (Kalotermitidae), with a description of the hitherto unknown imago of P. dhari Roonwal and Chhotani. Bulletin of the Zoological Survey of India, 2, 53–59.
Damme, K.V. & Banfield, L. (2011) Past and present human impacts on the biodiversity of Socotra Island (Yemen): implications for future conservation. Zoology in the Middle East, 54 (supplement 3), 31–88.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09397140.2011.10648899
Forbes, H.O. (1903) The natural history of Sokotra and Abd-El-Kuri. The Free Public Library, Liverpool, 598 pp.
Harris, W.V. (1954) Termites from Socotra (Isoptera). Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 7, 493–496.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00222935408651749
ICZN (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature) (2017) Declaration 45 – Addition of Recommendations to Article 73 and of the term “specimen, preserved” to the Glossary. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 73, 96–97.
https://doi.org/10.21805/bzn.v73i2.a2
Jasso-Selles, D.E., De Martini, F., Freeman, K.D., Garcia, M.D., Merrell, T.L., Scheffrahn, R.H. & Gile, G.H. (2017) The parabasalid symbiont community of Heterotermes aureus: Molecular and morphological characterization of four new species and reestablishment of the genus Cononympha. European Journal of Protistology, 61, 48–63.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejop.2017.09.001
Krell, F.-T. & Marshall, S.A. (2017) New Species Described From Photographs: Yes? No? Sometimes? A Fierce Debate and a New Declaration of the ICZN. Insect Systematics and Diversity, 1, 1–2.
https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixx004
Krishna, K. (1961) A generic revision and phylogenetic study of the family Kalotermitidae (Isoptera). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 122, 303–408.
Marshall, S.A. & Evenhuis, N.L. (2015) New species without dead bodies: a case for photo-based descriptions, illustrated by a striking new species of Marleyimyia Hesse (Diptera, Bombyliidae) from South Africa. ZooKeys, 525, 117.
Minteer, B.A., Collins, J.P., Love, K.E. & Puschendorf, R. (2014) Avoiding (re) extinction. Science, 344, 260–261.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1250953
Munteanu, R. (2016) Yemen Crisis Impact on the Middle East Regional Security. Strategic Impact, 60, 7–14.
Purchart, L. (2012) Biodiversity research of darkling beetles on Socotra Island. Part I. The genus Deretus Gahan, 1900 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Zootaxa, 3153, 57–68.
Rocha, L.A., Aleixo, A., Allen, G., Almeda, F., Baldwin, C.C., Barclay, M.V., Bates, J.M., Bauer, A.M., Benzoni, F., Berns, C.M., Berumen, M.L., Blackburn, D.C., Blum, S., Bolaños, F., Bowie, R.C.K., Britz, R., Brown, R.M., Cadena, C.D., Carpenter, K., Ceríaco, L.M., Chakrabarty, P., Chaves, G., Choat, J.H., Clements, K.D., Collette, B.B., Collins, A., Coyne, J., Cracraft, J., Daniel, T., de Carvalho, M.R., de Queiroz, K., Di Dario, F., Drewes, R., Dumbacher, J.P., Engilis Jr., A., Erdmann, M.V., Eschmeyer, W., Feldman, C.R., Fisher, B.L., Fjeldså, J., Fritsch, P.W., Fuchs, J., Getahun, A., Gill, A., Gomon, M., Gosliner, T., Graves, G.R., Griswold, C.E., Guralnick, R., Hartel, K., Helgen, K.M., Ho, H., Iskandar, D.T., Iwamoto, T., Jaafar, Z., James, H.F., Johnson, D., Kavanaugh, D., Knowlton, N., Lacey, E., Larson, H.K., Last, P., Leis, J.M., Lessios, H., Liebherr, J., Lowman, M., Mahler, D.L., Mamonekene, V., Matsuura, K., Mayer, G.C., Mays Jr., H., McCosker, J., McDiarmid, R.W., McGuire, J., Miller, M.J., Mooi, R., Mooi, R.D., Moritz, C., Myers, P., Nachman, M.W., Nussbaum, R.A., Foighil, D.Ó, Parenti, L.R., Parham, J.F., Paul, E., Paulay, G., Pérez-Emán, J., Pérez-Matus, A., Poe, S., Pogonoski, J., Rabosky, D.L., Randall, J.E., Reimer, J.D., Robertson, D.R., Rödel, M.-O., Rodrigues, M.T., Roopnarine, P., Rüber, L., Ryan, M.J., Sheldon, F., Shinohara, G., Short, A., Simison, W.B., Smith-Vaniz, W.F., Springer, V.G., Stiassny, M., Tello, J.G., Thompson, C.W., Trnski, T., Tucker, P., Valqui, T., Vecchione, M., Verheyen, E., Wainwright, P.C., Wheeler, T.A., White, W.T., Will, K., Williams, J.T., Williams, G., Wilson, E.O., Winker, K., Winterbottom, R. & Witt, C.C. (2014) Specimen collection: An essential tool. Science, 344, 814–815.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.344.6186.814
Rogers, D.C., Ahyong, S.T., Boyko, C.B., D'Acoz, C.D, Asakura, A., An, J., Bain, B.A., Bartels, P., Beladjal, L., Brusca, C.R., Cairns, S.D., Castro, P., Chaboo, C., Chan, T.-Y., Cracraft, J., Crandall., K., Cumberlidge, N., Davie, P.J.F., Dworschak, P.C., Engel, M.S., Fagundo, R.A., Felder, D.L., Forro, L., Fransen, C.H.J.M., Gelder, S.R., Gerken, S., Glasby, C., Govedich, F.R., Guinot, D., Hann, B.J., Heard, R.W., Hoberg, E.P., Hyžný, M., Janssen, C.N., Jacobus, L., Kimsey, L.S., Korovchinsky, N.M., Kotov, A.A., Lee, J., Lemaitre, R., Macpherson, E., Maeda-Martínez, A.M., Manconi, R., Mantelatto, F.L., Marrone, F., Martens, K., Meland, K., Merrin, K.L., Mooi, R., Nelson, D., Olesen, J., Overstreet, R.M., Perissinotto, R., Prendini, L., Rabet, N., Rahayu, D.L., Ratcliffe, B.C., Read, G., Sanoamuang, L., Schmidt-Rhaesa, A., Schnabel, K., Segers, H., Shields, J.D., Sinev, A., Taiti, S., Timms, B., Tudge, C., Van Damme, K., van der Meij, S., Van Syoc, R., Vinarski, M.V., Wallace, R., Wells, S., Wilkens, R., Wilson, E.O., Williams, B.W., Williams, J.D., Wilson, G.D.F. & Yoshida, R. (2017) Images are not and should not ever be type specimens: a rebuttal to Garraffoni & Freitas. Zootaxa, 4269 (4), 455–459.
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4269.4.3
Roonwal, M.L. & Chhotani O.B. (1963) Discovery of the termite genus Procryptotermes (Isoptera, Kalotermitidae) from Indo-Malayan region, with a new species from India. Biologisches Centralblatt, 82, 265–273.
Scheffrahn, R.H., Křeček, J., Chase, J.A., Maharajh, B. & Mangold, J.R. (2006) Taxonomy, biogeography, and notes on termites (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae) of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 99, 463–486.
https://doi.org/10.1603/0013-8746(2006)99[463:TBANOT]2.0.CO;2
Scheffrahn, R.H. & Křeček, J. (2001) New World revision of the termite genus Procryptotermes (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 94, 530–539.
https://doi.org/10.1603/0013-8746(2001)094[0530:NWROTT]2.0.CO;2
Thakur, M.L. (1975) Further records of occurrence of termite genus Procryptotermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) in the Indian region, with a new species from South India. Journal of the Indian Academy of Wood Science, 6, 29–36.
Watson, J.A.L. & Abbey, H.M. (1993) Atlas of Australian termites. Melbourne: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, 158 pp.