Roisinitermes ebogoensis gen. & sp. n., an outstanding drywood termite with snapping soldiers from Cameroon (Isoptera, Kalotermitidae)

By

Scheffrahn, Rudolf
Bourguignon, Thomas
Akama, Pierre
Sillam-Dussès, David
Šobotník, Jan

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2018

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

787

Pages

91-105

Subjects

Ethiopian Region , mandibles , ocellus , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.787.28195

 

Abstract

Termites have developed a wide array of defensive mechanisms. One of them is the mandibulate soldier caste that crushes or pierces their enemies. However, in several lineages of Termitinae, soldiers have long and slender mandibles that cannot bite but, instead, snap and deliver powerful strikes to their opponents. Here, we use morphological and molecular evidence to describeRoisinitermesebogoensisScheffrahn,gen. & sp. n.from near Mbalmayo, Cameroon. Soldiers ofR.ebogoensisare unique among all other kalotermitid soldiers in that they possess snapping mandibles. The imago ofR.ebogoensisis also easily distinguished from all other Kalotermitidae by the lack of ocelli. Our study reveals a new case of parallel evolution of snapping mandibles in termites, a complex apparatus responsible of one of the fastest biological acceleration rates measured to date.