Isognathotermes, Sjostedt, 1926

Josens, Guy, Deligne, Jean, Harry, Myriam, Roy, Virginie, Akama, Pierre D., Coulibaly, Tenon, Dosso, Kanvaly, Goergen, Georg, Hasson, Michel, Kasangij, Patrick Kasangij A, Kifukieto, Carmel, Ru, Bruno Le, Loko, Laura Estelle Yêyinou, Ndiaye, Abdoulaye Baila, Roisin, Yves, Sion, Noémie, Šobotnik, Jan, Stiblik, Petr, Kuenda, Soki Kue Di, Traoré, Saran, Viage, Manuela, Wango, Solange Patricia, Kaymak, Esra, Bourguignon, Thomas & Hellemans, Simon, 2025, An integrative revision of the genus Isognathotermes (Termitidae: Cubitermitinae) with description of seven new species and four new subspecies, European Journal of Taxonomy 1024, pp. 1-197 : 172

Unknown Isognathotermes from Malawi

Fig. 33 (as ‘ I. sp.’)

Diagnosis

The worker has a fungifaber EVA and is difficult to distinguish from other species.

The soldier’ morphology is similar to that of I. ugandensis malawii and I. minitabundus .

The imago is unknown.

However, this sample (DJ 0937) has a peculiar molecular signature, and as there is only one sample that has this genetic signature, it has therefore not yet been described.

Material examined

One sample.

MALAWI • soldier, worker; Nyika N.P.; 10°48.642′ S, 33°35.384′ E; 20 Jun. 2019; P. Stiblik leg.; study code: DJ 0937; GenBank no PV564649 (mitogenome); BE RMCA INS.Iso.059470 .

Historical review

This unknown species was collected by one of us (PK) in Malawi.

Molecular data

This unidentified sample from Malawi was placed as sister to all species of the clade V (containing similifinitimus + phallicaecalis + planifrons + phalloides + finitimus + minitabundus + ugandensis + severus ), and exhibited its highest similarity with I. minitabundus (96.5%).