DESCRIPTION OF TWO NEW SPECIES OF TERMITES ( ISOPTERA : INSECTA ) FROM ASSAM , INDIA

While studying a small collection of termites from Assam made recently by one of us (PKM), two new species, namely, Neotermes assamensis and Bulbiterines bulbiceps have been recognised and described here. The genus Neotermes is represented by 32 species in India (Roonwal and Chhotani, 1987). The genus Bulbitermes was unknown in India till Maiti (1977) reported its occurrence in the sub-Himalayan West Bengal with description of B. emerson; Maiti which was also recorded from Bhutan by Roonwal and Chhotani (1977). One more species of this genus is described here from Assam.


INTRODUCTION
While studying a small collection of termites from Assam made recently by one of us (PKM), two new species, namely, Neotermes assamensis and Bulbiterines bulbiceps have been recognised and described here.The genus Neotermes is represented by 32 species in India (Roonwal and Chhotani, 1987).The genus Bulbitermes was unknown in India till Maiti (1977) reported its occurrence in the sub-Himalayan West Bengal with description of B. emerson; Maiti which was also recorded from Bhutan by Roonwal and Chhotani (1977).One more species of this genus is described here from Assam.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study is based on the tennite material collected by the senior author during a field trip to Assam in 1985.The material preserved in 70 per cent alcohol was studied under a Binocular Microscope and the diagrams are drawn with help of a Camera lucida.
(Fig. 1, A-C) 2. Soldier (Fig. 1, A-B) : Head chestnut brown, darker anteriorly; mandibles black, paler towards condyle; antennae and labrum light brown; pronotum, legs and abdomen comparatively more hairy.Body length, ca.12.00-13.15mm.Head-capsule rectangular, head width slightly more than half the head length, lateral sides subparallel, frons distinctly sloping anteriorly.Eyes whitish, elongately rectangular to somewhat oval and separated from antennal socket by slightly more than its maximum width.Y -suture indistinctly marked.Ocelli absent.Antennae with) 5 segments, 3rd segment somewhat more chitinised, slightly III Emeritus Scientist.Z. S. I.. Calcutta longer than 2nd and much more longer than 4th.Anteclypeus strip like.Postclypeus much broader than long.•Labrum some\\"hat dome-shaped.much \\"ider than long.\\lith a fe\\' erect hairs apically.Mandibles stout \\lith bluntly incurved apices and almost half the head length: left mandible with 5 marginal teeth. 1 st marginal blunt.directed up\\'ards.2nd blunt and much shorter than 1 sf.3rd smaller and placed much below the second.margin in bet\\'een them broadly concave.4th indistinct and separated from the 3rd \\'ith a deep cut margin.5th prominent and• highly raised.Right mandible with 2 large marginal teeth. 1 st directed laterally \\'ith ,,'eakly incurved posterior margin: 2nd directed slightly down\vards \\lith long incurved posterior margin.Postnlentum long and clubshaped, anterior broader portion with a weak lateral notch.anterior lobe narrower than the posterior lobe and subquarish in shape and t\\'O and a half times broader than the minimum \vidth.anterior margin straight and posterior margin concave.
Pronotum somewhat rectangular.slightly wider than head.anterior Inargin deeply concave and devoid of any median notch, lateral margin distinctly outcurved.posteior margin substraight or weakly incurved medially, entire margins \vith some scattered hairs and on disc fewer.Legs slender and hairy, tibial spur formula 3 3 3; tarsi four jointed.Cerci short with two segments.Pseudoworker Head, pronotum and abdomen yellowish white; labrum, clypeus and antennae slightly darker.Body length 9.46-10.20 mm.Head as long as broad, subround and sparsely hairy., Labrum broader than long.Anteclypeus trapizoidal and whitish.Labrum subsquarish, broader than long, with a few hairs at the tip.Mandibles of typical Neotermes type.Eyes visible only u~der strong light.Ocelli absent.Pronotum subrectangu larish, sl ightly wider than head.Distribution Dibrugarh, and Sibsagar (Maranhat), Assam, India.Known from the typelocalities only.
Comparison Neotermes assam ens is sp.nov. is very close to N. bosei Snyder from the northern India and N. megaoculatus megaoculatus Roonwal and Sen-Sarma from Assam, but differs from them as follows From N. bosei (i) Mandibles comparatively short, robust, with somewhat blunt apices; teeth more prominent and stout; angle between 1 st and 2nd marginal tooth on left mandible less than right angle, wider gap between 3rd and 4th.anterior margin of I st marginal tooth of right mandible somewhat convex and directed laterally (vs.mandible comparatively elongated, thin and teeth not much prominent; angle between I st and 2nd marginal teeth of left mandible more than right angle, gap between 3rd and 4th very narrow; 1 st tooth or right mandible placed much below the apex; its anterior margin substraight or concave, tooth directed downwards); (ii) Antero-Iateral comer of head not prominent (vs.antero-Iateral corners of head very much prominent); (iii) Eyes placed close to antennal socket, eye-antenna I distance 0.15-0.19mm (vs.eyes placed slightly below the antennal base, eye-antennal distance 0.18-0.25 mm and (iv) Posterior margin of pronotum with weak median emargination (vs.posterior margin of pronotum without any median emargination).
From N. I1,egaoclIlatlls : (i) Eyes of moderate size, max.diameter 0.23-0.28mm and placed slightly below the antennal socket, distance 0.15-0.19mm (vs.eyes of larger in size, max, diameter 0.30-0.42mm min.diameter -nil and placed much below the antenna I socket, distance 0.30-0.36mm); (ii) Left mandible with its 3rd marginal teeth prominent and always present (vs.left mandible with its 3rd marginal teeth small or sometimes absent); (iii) Anterior lobe of postmentum narrower than posterior lobe (vs.anterior lobe subequal or wider) and (iv) 3rd antennal segment shorter than 2nd (vs.3rd antennal segment longer than 2nd).(Fig. 2, A-C) 2. Soldier (Fig. 2, A-B) : Head-capsule straw yellow, light brown at the level of constriction of head and dark brown at the apex of rostrum; antennae, pronotum, abdomen and legs straw yellow; antennae darker.Head dorsum with a few minute hairs, along with a pair of erect hairs posteriorly.Body-length, ca.2.90-3.15mm.Head-capsule excluding rostrum pear-shaped, with moderate constriction behind the bases of antennae; basal third fairly bulging out laterally; less than twice as broad at the widest point as on constriction; posterior margin broadly rounded with a very weak median emargination; in profile.dorsal margin weakly depressed; posterior bulge of head moderate.Rostrum somewhat cylindrical, a little longe~ than half the head-length without rostrum; basal hump weakly marked with a pair of erect hairs on it and a few at the tip of the rostrum.Fontanelle gland and tube prominent.Antennae with 12 segments, 3rd segment longer than 2nd and slightly smaller or subequal to 4th.Labrum small, broader than long, anterior margin weakly convex and proyided with minute hairs.Mandible without any apical process or tooth, molar plate with irregular margin.Postmentum as broad as long.lateral margins subparallel upto a little above the middle and then converging anteriorly.anterior margin substraight.
Pronotum saddle-shaped, width more than double the length and less than width of head, anterior margin weakly raised without any median notch, posterIor margin convex.

Table J -
Measurements (in mm) and indices of Neolermes assam ens is, Soldier caste.