Roisinitermes Scheffrahn

Scheffrahn, Rudolf H., Bourguignon, Thomas, Akama, Pierre Dieudonne, Sillam-Dusses, David & Sobotnik, Jan, 2018, Roisinitermesebogoensis gen. & sp. n., an outstanding drywood termite with snapping soldiers from Cameroon (Isoptera, Kalotermitidae), ZooKeys 787, pp. 91-105 : 93-94

Roisinitermes Scheffrahn gen. n.

Type-species.

Roisinitermes ebogoensis Scheffrahn sp. n.

Winged Imago.

Ocelli not visible either by pigmentation or cuticular protrusion (Figure 2 A–C). Fore wing with unsclerotized media and cubitus arising from a common vein distal from scale suture; radial sector with 5-6 anterior branches; subcosta very close and difficult to discern from costal margin (Figure 2D). Hind wing with radial sector and cubitus arising from a common vein distal to suture. Tibial spurs 3:3:3; tarsi without arolia. The left imago/nymph mandible with anterior margin of their marginal tooth ca. 1.5 times longer than length of the posterior margin of the first plus second marginal tooth; right mandible with posterior margin of second marginal tooth 1.4 times as long as molar plate (Figure 3).

Diagnosis.

The lack of visible ocelli is unique among all other Kalotermitidae . In Krishna’s 1961 generic key, Roisinitermes would lead to couplet 2 ( Epicalotermes ).

Soldier.

Monomorphic (Figs 4, 5). Eye spots prominent; large, dark brown. Frons bilobed in dorsal view, crested with rugose longitudinal wrinkles, rugosity below frons oriented longitudinally. Small horn-like projection at terminus of ventral genae. Mandibles sticklike; downward arching in lateral view. Dentition very weak; basal humps project sharply.

Diagnosis.

Stick-like mandibles unique among all other kalotermitid soldiers. In Krishna’s 1961 key, Roisinitermes leads to couplet 17 ( Allotermes ). In dorsal view, the mandibular blades of Allotermes , especially A. denticulatus Krishna 1962, somewhat resemble those of Roisinitermes as those of the former are long, rather narrow and with rudimentary dentition. In lateral view, however, the Roisinititermes mandibles differ from all other kalotermitids with projecting mandibles in that the Roisinitermes mandibles arch downward. Although the Roisinitermes imago venation and dentition is very similar to those of Epicalotermes , the soldier of Roisinitermes shares no major characters with the Epicalotermes soldier.

Etymology.

The genus is named in honor of Dr. Yves Roisin for his many contributions to the study of termites.