taxonID	type	description	language	source
F84A1F61FF91BB73FF0BFED0FDB1A6E4.taxon	materials_examined	Type species. Gastrotermes spinatus sp. n.	en	Scheffrahn, Rudolf H. (2020): Gastrotermes spinatus gen. n. sp. n., an African soil-feeding termite described from the worker caste (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitidae). Zootaxa 4789 (1): 291-296, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4789.1.12
F84A1F61FF91BB76FF0BF995FD89A324.taxon	materials_examined	Holotype. Worker, 1 DEC 2011, Jan Křeček, University of Florida Termite Collection no. AFR 1424. Type repository. University of Florida Termite Collection, Fort Lauderdale, Davie, Florida. Type-locality. Cameroon, Korup National Park (lat 5.007, long 8.865), elev. 135 m. Paratypes. Another 30 workers, same colony sample as holotype. Worker (Figs. 1 - 3). Monomorphic, intermediate size for subfamily; head, pronotum, and body rather hairy for subfamily (Fig. 1 A). Head capsule yellowish, covered with a few short but mostly long (ca. 0.12 mm) to very long (ca. 0.22 mm) setae (Fig. 1 C, D). Postclypeus strongly inflated; fontanelle almost indiscernible; frontal gland paler than surrounding vertex. Antennae with 14 articles, 2 = 3> 4 <5. Left mandible with apical tooth about twice as long as M 1 + 2; anterior margins of M 1 + 2 and M 3 subequal; posterior margin of M 1 + 2 forming ca. 110 ° with anterior margin of M 3 (Fig. 1 B). Right mandible with apical tooth about 2.5 times longer than first marginal tooth; second marginal tooth forming 90 ° isosceles triangle. Fore tibia slightly inflated compared to hind tibia. Mesenteron forms complete circle, integument in the half nearest P 1 with yellow pigmentation. Malpighian knot against the terminal part of midgut. Mixed segment absent, P 1 about 3 times as long as wide. Enteric valve seating trilobed, wider than P 1; P 3 a globular; P 3 b terminus elongate, with longitudinal striations (Fig. 2 A). Isthmus (P 3 a-P 4) cuticle without ornamentation; P 5 about same volume as P 3 a. Enteric valve contained within lumen of P 2. Valve with six subequal ovoid cushions. Each cushion with one to four small thorns near middle. At and below the cushion ring is a ring consisting of about a dozen rounded pleats followed by a more transparent ring ornamented with 4 - 9 very short spines in line with each cushion. Enteric valve seating trilobed, about 1.7 times wider than middle of P 1 and nearly as long; lined with several hundred 6 - 14 µm-long erect spines. Opening of the P 3 a lined with about one hundred 51 - 107 µm-long sclerotized spines at and beyond the EVS constriction. Long spines take two forms; those nearest EVA are simple with sharp points bunched at P 3 a opening into two groups, one group near interior lobe of EVS and one on opposite (left) side. Spines of the second group with wide, multifurcated termini that form two spiny arms lining the EVS side of the P 3 a.	en	Scheffrahn, Rudolf H. (2020): Gastrotermes spinatus gen. n. sp. n., an African soil-feeding termite described from the worker caste (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitidae). Zootaxa 4789 (1): 291-296, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4789.1.12
F84A1F61FF91BB76FF0BF995FD89A324.taxon	description	Measurements. Workers (mean, range, mm, n = 20): HLP 0.65, 0.58 - 0.70; PCL 0.21, 0.19 - 0.23; HW 1.01, 0.98 - 1.05; PW 0.65, 0.61 - 0.68; HTL 1.13, 1.05 - 1.18; FTL 0.82, 0.77 - 0.86; FTW 0.14, 0.12 - 0.14; FTLW 0.17, 0.15 - 0.18.	en	Scheffrahn, Rudolf H. (2020): Gastrotermes spinatus gen. n. sp. n., an African soil-feeding termite described from the worker caste (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitidae). Zootaxa 4789 (1): 291-296, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4789.1.12
F84A1F61FF91BB76FF0BF995FD89A324.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Both the EVS and P 3 a junction, as noted above, and the EVA cuticle of G. spinatus are unique among the Apicotermes group.	en	Scheffrahn, Rudolf H. (2020): Gastrotermes spinatus gen. n. sp. n., an African soil-feeding termite described from the worker caste (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitidae). Zootaxa 4789 (1): 291-296, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4789.1.12
F84A1F61FF91BB76FF0BF995FD89A324.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The specific epithet “ spinatus ” (Latin for spine) refers to the large spines at the juncture of the EVS and P 3 a.	en	Scheffrahn, Rudolf H. (2020): Gastrotermes spinatus gen. n. sp. n., an African soil-feeding termite described from the worker caste (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitidae). Zootaxa 4789 (1): 291-296, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4789.1.12
F84A1F61FF91BB76FF0BF995FD89A324.taxon	discussion	Discussion. Soldiers are relatively rare in colonies of the Apicotermes group genera so it is possible that G. spinatus possesses a soldier. Except for its subterranean soil-feeding behavior, the biology of G. spinatus is unknown. The only known locality for G. spinatus is in lowland central African rainforest with precipitation exceeding 3 m per annum. Noirot (2001) places the Labidotermes subgroup as basal within the Apicotermes group because, unlike the Eburnitermes, Trichotermes, and Apicotermes subgroups, the EVA is situated on the inner face of P 2 and does not project into the EVS or P 3 a lumen.	en	Scheffrahn, Rudolf H. (2020): Gastrotermes spinatus gen. n. sp. n., an African soil-feeding termite described from the worker caste (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitidae). Zootaxa 4789 (1): 291-296, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4789.1.12
