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Issue: Vol. 5821 No. 4: 3 Jun. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-06-03
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5821.4.5
Page range: 517-531
Abstract views: 33
PDF downloaded: 7

Description of two new species of Termes (Isoptera: Termitidae) from Colombia and Venezuela using morphological and mitochondrial data

Evolutionary Biology & Ecology; Université Libre de Bruxelles; Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50; CP 160/12; B-1050 Brussels; Belgium
Evolutionary Biology & Ecology; Université Libre de Bruxelles; Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50; CP 160/12; B-1050 Brussels; Belgium; Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University; 1919-1 Tancha; Onna-son; Okinawa 904-0495; Japan
Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University; 1919-1 Tancha; Onna-son; Okinawa 904-0495; Japan
Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center; Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences; 3205 College Avenue; Davie; Florida 33314; USA
University Sorbonne Paris Nord; Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology; LEEC; UR 4443; F-93430; Villetaneuse; France
Departmento de Biología; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas; Universidad del Valle; Cali; Colombia
Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University; 1919-1 Tancha; Onna-son; Okinawa 904-0495; Japan
Evolutionary Biology & Ecology; Université Libre de Bruxelles; Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50; CP 160/12; B-1050 Brussels; Belgium
Isoptera Neotropical region phylogeny taxonomy termite termitinae

Abstract

Two new species of the genus Termes Linnaeus are described through an integrative approach, combining whole mitogenome sequencing and comparative morphology across all neotropical congeneric species. Our maximum-likelihood phylogenetic reconstruction places the two new species in a clade sister to the T. fatalis species complex. Termes chocoensis sp. nov. was found along the Pacific coast of Colombia, and Termes atlanticus sp. nov. near the Atlantic coast and in Venezuela. Their soldiers differ from those of other Termes species in terms of head, pronotum, and mandible measurements. Workers exhibit a distinctive armature of the enteric valve, which is currently the only diagnostic character separating T. fatalis from T. atlanticus sp. nov. and T. medioculatus from T. chocoensis sp. nov., highlighting the criticality of examining multiple castes when identifying Termes specimens.

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How to Cite

Fontaine, N., Hellemans, S., Kaymak, E., Scheffrahn, R.H., Sillam-Dussès, D., Armbrecht, I., Bourguignon, T. & Roisin, Y. (2026) Description of two new species of Termes (Isoptera: Termitidae) from Colombia and Venezuela using morphological and mitochondrial data. Zootaxa, 5821 (4), 517–531. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5821.4.5