Diversidade e distribuição dos Apicotermitinae (Blattodea, Isoptera, Termitidae) da Paraíba, Brasil

Abstract

The Apicotermitinae has 57 species, distributed in 17 genera, in the Neotropical region. However these numbers are underestimated, since the lack of studies with the group has resulted in a gap in the taxonomic knowledge of the subfamily. This scarcity of studies can be explained by the difficulty of identifying the species of this subfamily, since the neotropical representatives of Apicotermitinae do not have a soldier caste, making it necessary to use internal characteristics of the worker, such as the enteric valve, which disable techniques of dissection. Therefore, this study aimed to make a diagnosis of this subfamily for Paraíba, presenting a checklist with all taxa registered in the state. 703 batches of Apicotermitinae were analyzed, from 35 municipalities, 379 from the Atlantic Forest and 324 from the Caatinga, deposited in the Isoptera Collection of the Federal University of Paraíba. For this, the characters of the external and internal morphology of the workers were used, with the preparation of enteric valve slides. 22 species/morphospecies were discovered, adding three new records for the state: Compositermes vindai Scheffrahn, 2013; Grigiotermes hageni (Snyder & Emerson, 1949); and Mangolditermes curveileum Scheffrahn, Carrijo & Castro, 2023. Nine species were exclusive to the Atlantic Forest, three exclusives to the Caatinga and 10 shared between the two ecosystems. Anoplotermes meridianus Emerson, 1925 was a more frequent and widely distributed species, being found in 30 municipalities in the state of Paraíba, in the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga domain, representing 34% of the samples analyzed. Anoplotermes banksi Emerson, 1925 was the only conspicuous nest-building species. This study contributed to the knowledge of the Apicotermitinae of the State of Paraíba to highlight the diversity of the group in the state, but more studies are necessary for a greater taxonomic understanding of the subfamily.