Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A new species of termite, Prorhinotermes cotym (Blattodea: Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae: Prorhinotermitinae), from the Kerala part of the western ghats, India

  • Original Research Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Genus Prorhinotermes Silvestri (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) is very rare in India, known by single species Prorhinotermes flavus. After three decades, a new species Prorhinotermes cotym Joseph, Amina and Mathew sp.nov, is described from the Kerala part of the Western Ghats, India. The genus Prorhinotermes is documented for the first time from Kerala. Morphological measurements of the soldiers and workers are given with suitable illustrations. Cytochrome oxidase II gene subunit was sequenced based on which phylogenetic analysis was carried out. A revised key to the species of Prorhinotermes (based on soldier caste) found in India with the species distribution map is 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

  • Altschul SF, Madden TL, Schäffer AA, Zhang J, Zhang Z, Miller W, Lipman DJ (1997) Gapped BLAST and PSI-BLAST: a new generation of protein database search programs. Nucleic Acids Res 25:3389–3402

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bourguignon T, Roisin Y (2011) Revision of the termite family Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera) in New Guinea. Zookeys 148:55–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bugnion E, Popoff N (1910) Le termite a latex de Ceylon (Coptotermes travians haviland). Avec un appendice comprenant la description des Coptotermes gestroi Wasm. Et flavus nov sp. Mémoires de la Société zoologique de France 23:107–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Chhotani OB (1997) The Fauna of India and the adjacent countries, Isoptera (termites). Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiu CI, Mullins AJ, Kuan KC, Lin MD, Su NY, Li HF (2021) Termite salinity tolerance and potential for transoceanic dispersal through rafting. Ecol Entomol 46:106–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Desneux J (1904) Notes termitologiques. Annales de la Société. Entomologique de Belgique 48:146–151

    Google Scholar 

  • Donovan SE, Eggleton P, Bignell DE (2001) Gut content analysis and a new feeding group classification of termites. Ecol Entomol 26:356–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emerson AE (1955) Geographical origins and dispersions of termite genera. Fieldiana (Zoology) 37:465–521

    Google Scholar 

  • Fayle TM, Scholtz O, Dumbrell AJ, Russell S, Segar ST, Eggleton P (2015) Detection of mitochondrial COII DNA sequences in ant guts as a method for assessing termite predation by ants. PLoS ONE 10:e0122533

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Felsenstein J (1985) Confidence limits on phylogenies: an approach using the bootstrap. Evol (NY) 39:783–791

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gay FJ, Barrett RA (1983) The occurrence in Australia of prorhinotermes inopinatus silvestri (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Australian J Entomol 22:75–77. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1440-6055.1983.TB01845.X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hagen HA (1858) Synopsis der Neuroptera Ceylons. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen. Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 8:471–488

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmgren N (1912) Die Termiten Japans. Annotationes Zoologicae Japonenses 8:107–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Korb J (2010) Termites: Social Evolution. Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior 394–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-045337-8.00347-8

  • Jones DT, Eggleton P (2010) Global biogeography of termites: s compilation of sources. In: Bignell et al (eds) Biology of termites: a modern synthesis. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 477–498

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Joseph E, Albright B, Francis AA, Jayan N, Mathew J (2023) First record of Microcerotermes lahorensis Akhtar (Blattodea, Isoptera, Termitidae) from India. ENTOMON 48:141–144. https://doi.org/10.33307/entomon.v48i1.857

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jouquet P, Traoré S, Choosai C, Hartmann C, Bignell D (2011) Influence of termites on ecosystem functioning. Ecosystem services provided by termites. Eur J Soil Biol 47:215–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EJSOBI.2011.05.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kemner NA (1931) Die Termitenfauna von Amboina: Ergebnisse der Sunda-Expedition der Notgemeinschaft der deutschen Wissenschaft 1929/30. Lunds Universitets Årsskrift (n.f. 2). 27:1–53

  • Kimura M (1980) A simple method for estimating evolutionary rates of base substitutions through comparative studies of nucleotide sequences. J Mol Evol 16:111–120

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krishna K, Grimaldi DA, Krishna V, Engel MS (2013) Treatise on the Isoptera of the World. Bull Am Museum Nat Histpry 377:2433–2705

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar S, Stecher G, Li M, Knyaz C, Tamura K (2018) MEGA X: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis across computing platforms. Mol Biol Evol 35:1547–1549

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Li KS, Tsai PH (1976) On a collection of termites from the Xisha Islands of China, with description of a new Prorhinotermes. Acta Entomologica Sinica 19:94–100 [in Chinese, with English summary]

    Google Scholar 

  • Li HF, Lan YC, Su NY (2011) Redescription of prorhinotermes japonicus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) from Taiwan. Annals of Entomological Society of America 104:878–885

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linnaeus C (1758) Systema naturae per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum charac- teribus, differentiis synonymis, locis. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm

    Google Scholar 

  • Maiti PK (2006) A taxonomic monograph on the World Species of Termites of the Family Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera: Insecta). Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata

    Google Scholar 

  • Michaelson W (1913) Die Fauna südwest-Australiens. Ergebnisse der Hamburger südwest-australischen Forschungsreise 1905. G Fischer, Jena

    Google Scholar 

  • National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) (1988) Bethesda (MD). National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ Accessed 16 October 2021

  • Ping ZM, Xu YL (1989) Systematics of the genus Prorhinotermes Silvestri (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae: Prorhinotermitinae) from China. Acta Entomologica Sinica 32:330–336

    Google Scholar 

  • Piskorski R, Hanus R, Vašíčková S, Cvačka J, Šobotník J, Svatoš A, Valterová I (2007) Nitroalkenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons from the frontal gland of three Prorhinotermes termite species. J Chem Ecol 33:1787–1794

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Piskorski R, Hanus R, Kalinova B, Valterova I, KŘeČek J, Bourguignon T, Roisin Y, Šobotník J (2009) Temporal and geographic variations in the morphology and chemical composition of the frontal gland in imagoes of Prorhinotermes species (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Biol J Linn Soc 98:384–392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roisin Y (1988) Morphology, development and evolutionary significance of the working stages in the caste system of Prorhinotermes (Insecta, Isoptera). Zoomorphology 107:339–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roonwal ML, Chhotani OB (1989) The fauna of India and the adjacent countries. Isoptera (termites). Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata

    Google Scholar 

  • Sands WA (1998) The identification of worker castes of Termite Genera from Soils of Africa and the Middle East. Cab International, Wallingford

    Google Scholar 

  • Shanbhag RR, Sundararaj R (2013) Host range, pest status and distribution of wood destroying termites of India. J Trop Asian Entomol 2:12–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Sillam-Dussès D, Hanus R, Poulsen M, Roy V, Favier M, Vasseur-Cognet M (2016) The role of the glucose-sensing transcription factor carbohydrate responsive element-binding protein pathway in termite queen fertility. Open Biololgy 6:160080. https://doi.org/10.1098/RSOB.160080

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silvestri F (1909) In Michaelsen, W. and Harteneyer, R., Die Fauna Sudwest Austral, 2(17): 279–314

  • Singla M, Lakshmi Sharma V, Chander Sobti R, Sodhi M, Kumari M (2013) Genetic relationship among indian termites based on DNA sequence of mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene. Int J Evol 2:1–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Singla M, Goyal N, Sobti R, Sharma V (2015) Estimating molecular phylogeny of some indian termites combining partial COI sequences. J Entomol Zool Stud 3:213–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Sjöstedt,y (1904) Monographie der Termiten Afrikas. Nachtrag. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Hand-lingar 38: 1–20

  • Snyder TE (1922) New termites from Hawaii, Central and South America, and the Antilles. Proc US Natl Mus 61:1–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Šobotník J, Weyda F, Hanus R, Kyjaková P, Doubský J (2004) Ultrastructure of the frontal gland in Prorhinotermes simplex (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) and quantity of the defensive substance. Eur J Entomol 101:153–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood TG, Sands WA (1978) The role of termites in ecosystems. In: Brian MV (ed) Production ecology of ants and termites. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 45–292

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Our research centre C.M.S. College Kottayam is affiliated with M.G. University, Kottayam Kerala, India. The authors would like to thank all officials, Z.S.I. Calicut, especially Mrs Rituparana Sengupta S.R.F., Z.S.I., Kolkata, for sharing Prorhinotermes flavus photograph.

Funding

The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, CMS College, Kottayam, 686001, Kerala, India

    Edwin Joseph, Sarath Thomas B S, Namitha Jayan & Jobin Mathew

  2. Department of Zoology, Sir Syed College, Taliparamba, Kannur, Kerala, India

    Poovoli Amina

Authors
  1. Edwin Joseph
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Poovoli Amina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sarath Thomas B S
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Namitha Jayan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jobin Mathew
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jobin Mathew.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. Here by declare that there is no conflict of interest of any form.

Ethical approval

Not applicable.

Informed consent

Not applicable.

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

Joseph, E., Amina, P., Thomas B S, S. et al. A new species of termite, Prorhinotermes cotym (Blattodea: Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae: Prorhinotermitinae), from the Kerala part of the western ghats, India. Int J Trop Insect Sci 43, 1733–1740 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-023-01077-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-023-01077-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation