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The "cryptid" termite: Mapinguaritermes

mapinguaritetmes termitidae termites

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#1 Offline ItalianTermiteMan2.0 - Posted January 2 2024 - 12:25 PM

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Here we have a few shots by Dr. Rudolf Scheffrahn of an alcohol-preserved soldier of Mapinguaritermes grandidens from the University of Florida Termite Collection (UFTC).

Mapinguaritermes is a genus of Amazonian Syntermitinae erected to contain two species (M. grandidens and M. peruanus) that were separed in 2012 from Armitermes follwoing a taxonomic revision.

 

Their soldiers are quite impressive thanks to the huge curved mandibles designed to pierce and hold and long nasus from which a defensive secretion is exuded, but one of the most notable "fun facts" about this genus its the name itself: they are in fact named after the Mapinguari, a creature that sway between legend and cryptozoology: while it is traditionally depicted as an impossible bipedal, hairy, one-eyed, belly-mouthed creature in Brazilian folklore, some (including field researchers like ornithologist David Oren) argue that the root of its leged lies in the late or even current survival of some species of giant ground sloths (no less). While (unsurprisingly) no solid proof of the existence of this creature in either of its "incarnations" has ever been found, we can say that since 2012 the Mapinguari do exist in a sense... it's just much smaller than expected!

 

 

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Dorsal wiew.

 

 

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Lateral wiew.

 

 

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Ventral wiew.


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#2 Offline JesseTheAntKid - Posted February 4 2024 - 5:09 PM

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So basically they chose both nasute-type and regular type defense mechanisms?


Currently keeping: Pheidole obscurithorax (FINALLY I CAN STUDY THEM AND HAVE THEIR COOL MAJORS  B)), Tetramorium bicarinatum, Solenopsis spp. (probably xyloni, the queens are tiny hehe)

Wanting: Atta texana, Camponotus planatus (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CAN SOMEONE HOOK ME UP WITH ATTA)

Previously kept: Monomorium minimum, Pheidole dentata

 

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#3 Offline ItalianTermiteMan2.0 - Posted March 1 2024 - 2:43 PM

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So basically they chose both nasute-type and regular type defense mechanisms?

 

Kinda, altough unlike in "true" nasutes (subfamily Nasutitermitinae) their defensive secretion is hosed on an foe at contact distance (usually along with a bite) rather than being shot over a distance.



#4 Offline AntidepressAnt - Posted March 1 2024 - 2:58 PM

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So basically they chose both nasute-type and regular type defense mechanisms?

 

Kinda, altough unlike in "true" nasutes (subfamily Nasutitermitinae) their defensive secretion is hosed on an foe at contact distance (usually along with a bite) rather than being shot over a distance.

 

Is that how the nasute termites got started? I mean, several termite soldiers with "normal" morphology will smear their enemies with toxins along with a bite, right? I wonder if this termite will keep its multiple methods of defence or will eventually evolve into a more highly specialized form...


Edited by AntidepressAnt, March 1 2024 - 2:58 PM.






Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: mapinguaritetmes, termitidae, termites

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