Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Company or crowd? Termitomorpha kistneri sp. n., taxonomical rearrangement in termitophilous rove beetles and comparative notes in some Neotropical Termitogastrina (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae)

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Biologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Xenogaster Wasmann, 1891 is a Neotropical genus of termite-associated staphylinid beetles commonly found in nests of Nasutitermitinae termites. Due to morphological similarities and difficulties in their comparison, confusion often occurs among the species of Xenogaster and closely related genera such as Termitogaster Casey, 1889 and Termitomorpha Wasmann, 1894. The examination of the holotype of Xenogaster lineis Kistner, 2006, demonstrate that this specimen actually belongs to Termitogaster genus, leading to the proposal the transfer and new combination of this species, Termitogaster lineis (Kistner, 2006) comb. n. Additionally, examination of part of the paratypes of Xenogaster lineis revealed these specimens belong to a new species of the Termitomorpha genus, T. kistneri sp. n. here described. The results of these findings highlight the need of more taxonomic studies to resolve the ambiguity and imprecision in the diagnostic characters of closely related genera in Termitogastrina. This paper underscores the significance of revisiting and thoroughly re-examining type specimens and paratypes in order to ensure greater stability in the classification and nomenclature of insect taxa. To conclude, an updated key for Termitomorpha species and Neotropical Termitogastrina is also provided.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aanen DK, de Fine Licht HH, Debets AJM, Kerstes NAG, Hoekstra RF, Boomsma JJ (2009) High symbiont relatedness stabilizes mutualist cooperation in fungus-growing termites. Science 326:1103–1106. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1173462

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borgmeier T (1959) Vier neue gattungen und einiger neue arten termitophiler staphyliniden aus costa rica und brasilien (Col. Staphilinidae). Studia Entomologica 2:289–308

    Google Scholar 

  • Caron E, Bortoluzzi S, Rosa CS (2018) Two new species of obligatory termitophilous rove beetles from Brazil (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Termitomorpha Wasmann). Zootaxa 4413:566–578. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4413.3.10

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cunha H, Lima JS, Souza LF, Santos LGA, Nabout JC (2015) No morphometric distinction between the host Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Silvestri) (Isoptera: Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae) and its obligatory termitophile Corotoca melantho Schiødte (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Sociobiology 62:65–69. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v62i1.65-69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duringer P, Schuster M, Genise JF et al (2006) The first fossil fungus gardens of Isoptera: oldest evidence of symbiotic termite fungiculture (Miocene, Chad basin). Naturwissenschaften 93:610–615. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-006-0149-3

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eldredge KT (2022) A new myrmecophilous genus of Falagriini from Colorado, USA (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae). Zootaxa 5165(4):575–590. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5165.4.8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eloi I, Pires-Silva CM, Zilberman B (2020) Cumulative species description curve of Corotocini (Aleocharinae, Staphylinidae) and prospects for the future. Acta Brasiliensis 4:133–136. https://doi.org/10.22571/2526-4338325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobson HR, Kistner DH, Pasteels JM (1986) Generic revision, phylogenetic classification, and phylogeny of the termitophilous tribe Corotocini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Sociobiology 12:1–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanao T, Eldredge KT, Maruyama M (2016) A defensive body plan was pre-adaptive for termitophily in the rove beetle tribe Termitohospitini (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae). bioRxiv 83881. https://doi.org/10.1101/083881

  • Kanzaki N, Liang W-R, Chiu C-I, Yang C-T, Hsueh Y-P, Li H-F (2019) Nematode-free agricultural system of a fungus-growing termite. Sci Rep 9:8917. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44993-8

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kistner DH (1969) The biology of termitophiles. In: Krishna K, Weesner FM (eds) Biology of termites. Elsevier, New York, pp 525–557

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kistner DH (2006) A review of some termitophiles from Peru, Ecuador and some other South American countries (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Sociobiology 47:581–659

    Google Scholar 

  • Kistner DH (2007) Revision of the tribe feldini with a review of their phylogeny based on cladistic analysis (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Sociobiology 50:749–801

    Google Scholar 

  • Kistner DH, Jacobson HR (1976) New species and new records of termitophilous species from central America and Mexico with description of behavior, related glands and ultrastructure (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Sociobiology 2:1–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Naomi SI (1988) Comparative morphology of the Staphylinidae and the allied groups (Coleoptera, Staphylinoidea): IV. Maxillae and labium. Jpn J Ent 52(2):241–250

    Google Scholar 

  • Naomi SI (1989) Comparative morphology of the Staphylinidae and the allied groups (Coleoptera, Staphylinoidea): VII. Metendosternite and wings. Jpn J Ent 57:82–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Pires-Silva CM (2023) Two new species of the termitophilous rove beetle genus Xenogaster Wasmann from Brazil (Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae, Corotocini). Zootaxa 5239:247–264. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5239.2.4

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pires-Silva CM, Eloi I, Zilberman B, Bezerra-Gusmão MA (2021) Nest volume and distance between nests do not affect population size or species richness of the termitophilous Corotocini fauna. Ann Zool Fenn 59:61–70. https://doi.org/10.5735/086.059.0107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pires-Silva CM, Zilberman B, Eloi I (2022) Different faces, same attitudes: behavioral mimicry and description of a new termitophilous species of the remarkable rove beetle genus Thyreoxenus (Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae, Corotocini) from Brazil with notes on post-imaginal growth. Sci Nat 109:53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-022-01820-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sawada K (1970) Aleocharinae (Staphylinidae, Coleoptera) of the IBP-Station in the Shiga Heights, Central Japan (II). Bull Natl Sci Museum 23:33–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawada K (1972) Methodological research in the taxonomy of Aleocharinae. Contrib Biol Lab Kyoto Univ 24:31–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Seevers CH (1941) Taxonomic investigations of some termitophilous Staphylinidae of the subfamilies Aleocharinae and Trichopseniinae. Ann Entomol Soc Amer 34:318–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seevers CH (1957) A monograph on the termitophilous Staphylinidae (Coleoptera). Fieldiana Zool 40:1–334

    Google Scholar 

  • Silva RFD, Caron E, Carvalho-Filho FDS (2022) An update on Termitomorpha Wasman (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) including a new species, species redescriptions and geographic extension. Zootaxa 5205:1–25. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5205.1.1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spicer R, Kistner DH (1980) The behavior and exocrine gland system of Termitoides marginatus (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) with a redescription of the genus and species. Sociobiology 5(3):215–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasconcelos MF, Hoffmann D, de Araújo MC, Vasconcelos PN (2015) Bird-termite interactions in Brazil: A review with perspectives for future studies. Biota Neotrop 15:1–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wasmann E, Holmgren N (1911) Tabelle der Termitophya-und der Xenogaster-Arten. (191. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Termitophilen). Zool Anz 38:428–429

    Google Scholar 

  • Zilberman B (2020) Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Corotoca, with description of a new genus and species from Brazil (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae). Insect Syst Evol 1:1–45. https://doi.org/10.1163/1876312X-bja10005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zilberman B, Pires-Silva CM (2022) Dilacera, a new astonishing Amazonian genus of termitophilous rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Termitonannini) and updated checklist of the subtribe Termitonannina with their termite hosts. Zootaxa 5194(1):122–132. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5194.1.7

Download references

Acknowledgements

I thank Dr. Sônia Casari (MZUSP) for the careful reading and suggestions, Dr. Michael S. Engel (KU) and Dr. Zachary H. Falin (KU) for providing photos of the holotype of Xenogaster lineis, Dr. Maureen Turcatel (FMNH) for the loan of the Xenogaster lineis paratypes, and Jessica K. Wadleigh (collections assistant, FMNH) and Dr. Alfred Newton (FMNH) for all the support. Finally, I thank the two anonymous reviewers for the commentaries which undoubtedly improved the quality and clarity of the manuscript. This work was partially funded by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001. CPS is funded under Grant 88887.639836/2021-00.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de pós graduação em Sistemática, Taxonomia animal e Biodiversidade, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, LaC - Laboratório de Coleoptera, São Paulo, Brazil

    Carlos M. Pires-Silva

Authors
  1. Carlos M. Pires-Silva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlos M. Pires-Silva.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Conflict of interests

The author declare that have no conflict of interests.

Additional information

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pires-Silva, C.M. Company or crowd? Termitomorpha kistneri sp. n., taxonomical rearrangement in termitophilous rove beetles and comparative notes in some Neotropical Termitogastrina (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae). Biologia 78, 3415–3426 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-023-01475-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-023-01475-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation