Isognathotermes kemneri ( Emerson, 1928 )

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 : 179-180

Isognathotermes kemneri ( Emerson, 1928)

Figs 36–37

Revised herein as junior synonym of I. bulbifrons .

Mirotermes ( Cubitermes) kemneri Emerson, 1928: 509 , fig. 54.

Cubitermes kemneri – Snyder 1949: 161.

Cubitermes zenkeri – Ruelle 1975: 8; 1992: 501. — Krishna et al. 2013: 1945. — Josens & Deligne 2019: 42–44 , 60 (incorrect synonym of C. zenkeri ).

Isognathotermes kemneri – Hellemans et al. 2021: 233.

Junior synonym of Isognathotermes bulbifrons (Sjöstedt, 1924) . Syn. nov.

Etymology

In the original description, Emerson (1928: 509) stated: “I take pleasure in naming this species in honor of Dr. N. Kemner, who has done such valuable work on oriental termites and termitophiles.”

Historical review

Emerson (1928: 509) described this species under the name Mirotermes ( Cubitermes) kemneri . He provided description and measurements of the soldier, noting that it is very close to Cubitermes heghi .

Snyder (1949: 161) catalogued this species under the name C. kemneri and housed it in the sub-family Termitinae .

Ruelle (1975: 8), on the advice of Emerson ( in litteris), proposed C. kemneri as a junior synonym of C. zenkeri . This is one of the species that Ruelle (1992: 501) called “forgotten species”.

Krishna et al. (2013: 1945) housed C. kemneri in the sub-family Cubitermitinae . Espousing the view of Ruelle 1975 they considered this species as a junior synonym of C. zenkeri .

However, C. kemneri cannot be synonymized with C. zenkeri because the types of both species have different EVAs, i.e., of the finitimus and fungifaber groups respectively ( Josens & Deligne 2019: 42–44).

Hellemans et al. (2021: 233) placed this species in the restored genus Isognathotermes .

One type subsample has been examined (see Isognathotermes bulbifrons, DJ 0297). Krishna et al. (2013: 1945) mention that other subsamples are deposited in UMMZ: holotype (soldier), and a paratype subsample in PPRI (not examined).

Only two samples in the museum collections bore the name “ C. kemneri ”: the type sample and a misidentified sample (presently assigned to I. fungifaber ). Our morphology study (this article) shows that the type matches well I. bulbifrons . Therefore, I. kemneri ( Emerson, 1928) is from now on considered a junior synonym of Isognathotermes bulbifrons (Sjöstedt, 1924) .