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| Engelitermes zambo Arias, Hellemans, Kaymak, Akama, Bourguignon, Roisin, Scheffrahn & Šobotník, 2023 |
Abstract
While new species of termites are described every year, the description of species distant from every known termite species is rare. In this paper, we describe one such species, Engelitermes zambo sp.n., an African Termitidae belonging to an entirely new lineage of termites for which we create a new subfamily, Engelitermitinae subfam.n. The subfamily status of Engelitermitinae was supported by termite phylogenetic trees, including sequences from the four existing samples of E. zambo sp.n., which, albeit with low bootstrap supports, placed Engelitermes gen.n. on a long branch sister to Forficulitermes, the two of which formed the sister group of a clade comprising Cubitermitinae, Nasutitermitinae, Syntermitinae and all other Termitinae. The sister relationship between Engelitermes gen.n. and Forficulitermes is further supported by the similar gut structure of their workers. In contrast, the soldiers of Engelitermes gen.n. resemble those of Cephalotermes. Our phylogenetic analyses, including all clades of Termitinae, call for a global taxonomic revision of the Termitinae subfamily names. Finally, our study highlights that new unique termite lineages are still awaiting to be described.
Engelitermitinae subfam.n.
Engelitermes zambo sp.n.
Johanna Romero Arias, Simon Hellemans, Esra Kaymak, Pierre D. Akama, Thomas Bourguignon, Yves Roisin, Rudolf H. Scheffrahn and Jan Šobotník. 2023. Mitochondrial Phylogenetics Position A New Afrotropical Termite Species into its own Subfamily, the Engelitermitinae (Blattodea: Termitidae). Systematic Entomology. DOI: 10.1111/syen.12607
Scientists from FTA described a new termite subfamily, the discovery is published in a prestigious journal
• Engelitermes zambo sp.n. (Blattodea: Termitidae: Engelitermitinae subfam.n.) is described from worker, soldier and imago stages.
• Four samples of E. zambo sp.n. exist, all closely related and placed on a long branch rooted within polyphyletic Termitinae.
• Although Engelitermes shows closest affinities to Forficulitermes using mitochondrial genomes, other markers reveal different branching patterns, and Engelitermes, thus, deserves creating a new monospecific subfamily.
