Apicotermitinae (Termitidae) of Atlantic Rainforest sensu stricto

• Grant number: 14/11982-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: December 01, 2015
• End date: September 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Eliana Marques Cancello
• Grantee: Joice Paulo Constantini
• Host Institution: Museu de Zoologia (MZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The subfamily Apicotermitinae (Termitidae) is currently a daunting taxonomic challenge within Isoptera. The soldier caste usually used to taxonomic identification is lacking in all apicotermitine of the Neotropical region (Anoplotermes group), which raises the importance of the worker digestive tube characters to identify species. The Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest has gained attention for being a hotspot of diversity, due to the high level of endemism, among other reasons. Different research projects focusing on the termite diversity of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest were undertaken in recent years, gathering a large amount of apicotermitine samples actually housed in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZUSP). Those studies reaffirmed the highest abundance and diversity of the subfamily, even though the most part of that material was separated into "morphospecies". The purpose of this project is to establish the identity of the genera and species of Apicotermitinae of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest sensu stricto, through the study of material deposited in MZUSP, using external and internal morphological, and morphometric characters of the available castes, and seeking for new characters that may be useful and could help in a prompt identification of the soldierless termites. (AU)

Scientific publications

(9)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CONSTANTINI, JOICE; JANEI, VANELIZE; COSTA-LEONARDO, ANA MARIA; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.. Dissimulitermes, a new soldierless termite genus (Blattaria: Isoptera: Termitidae: Apicotermitinae) from the Neotropics and the histology of its dehiscent organ. Insect Systematics and Evolution, v. 52, n. 4, p. 412-427, JUL 2021. (13/20068-9, 14/11982-1)

CARRIJO, TIAGO F.; CASTRO, DANIEL; WANG, MENGLIN; CONSTANTINI, JOICE P.; BOURGUIGNON, THOMAS; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.; ROISIN, YVES; SCHEFFRAHN, RUDOLF H.. Diminishing the taxonomic gap in the neotropical soldierless termites: descriptions of four new genera and a new Anoplotermes species (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitinae). ZOOKEYS, v. N/A, n. 1167, p. 36-pg., 2023-06-14. (20/06041-4, 14/11982-1)

CARRIJO, T. F.; ENGEL, M. S.; CHOUVENC, T.; GILE, G. H.; MIKAELYAN, A.; DEDEINE, F.; WARE, J. L.; HAIFIG, I.; ARAB, A.; CONSTANTINI, J. P.; et al. A call to termitologists: it is time to abandon the use of "lower" and "higher" termites. Insectes Sociaux, v. N/A, p. 5-pg., 2023-08-23. (20/06041-4, 18/22839-6, 20/08121-5, 14/11982-1, 17/11768-8)

CARRIJO, TIAGO F.; CONSTANTINI, JOICE P.; SCHEFFRAHN, RUDOLF H.. Uncitermes almeriae, a new termite species from Amazonia (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae). ZOOKEYS, n. 595, p. 1-6, 2016. (13/03767-0, 14/11982-1)

CASTRO, DANIEL; CONSTANTINI, JOICE P.; SCHEFFRAHN, RUDOLF H.; CARRIJO, TIAGO F.; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.. Rustitermes boteroi, a new genus and species of soldierless termites (Blattodea, Isoptera, Apicotermitinae) from South America. ZOOKEYS, n. 922, p. 35-49, MAR 25 2020. (13/20068-9, 14/11982-1)

CONSTANTINI, JOICE P.; CARRIJO, TIAGO FERNANDES; PALMA-ONETTO, VALERIA; SCHEFFRAHN, RUDOLF; CARNOHAN, LUCAS PAUL; SOBOTNIK, JAN; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.. Tonsuritermes, a new soldierless termite genus and two new species from South America (Blattaria: Isoptera: Termitidae: Apicotermitinae). Zootaxa, v. 4531, n. 3, p. 383-394, DEC 13 2018. (13/03767-0, 14/11982-1, 13/20068-9)

ROCHA, M. M.; CUEZZO, C.; CONSTANTINI, J. P.; OLIVEIRA, D. E.; SANTOS, R. G.; CARRIJO, T. F.; CANCELLO, E. M.. Overview of the Morphology of Neotropical Termite Workers: History and Practice. Sociobiology, v. 66, n. 1, p. 1-32, MAR 2019. (14/11982-1, 13/20068-9)

CASTRO, DANIEL; CONSTANTINI, JOICE P.; SCHEFFRAHN, RUDOLF H.; CARRIJO, TIAGO F.; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.. Rustitermes boteroi, a new genus and species of soldierless termites (Blattodea, Isoptera, Apicotermitinae) from South America. ZOOKEYS, v. N/A, n. 922, p. 15-pg., 2020-03-25. (13/20068-9, 14/11982-1)

CARRIJO, TIAGO F.; CONSTANTINI, JOICE P.; SCHEFFRAHN, RUDOLF H.. Uncitermes almeriae, a new termite species from Amazonia (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae). ZOOKEYS, v. N/A, n. 595, p. 6-pg., 2016-01-01. (13/03767-0, 14/11982-1)