Isognathotermes ugandensis burundii Josens & Deligne, 2025

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 : 156-158

Isognathotermes ugandensis burundii Josens & Deligne subsp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

Figs 33, 65–66, 69

Diagnosis

This subspecies is best characterised by its mitogenome sequence.

Soldiers and workers do not allow this subspecies to be distinguished from the other three. The imago of I. u. burundii subsp. nov. is close to that of I. u. ugandensis subsp. nov.; on average, it is somewhat larger with generally smaller eyes (“ugbu” in Fig. 65, Table 17); it can be found in Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania at a relatively low altitude ( 1200–1700 m, average = 1350 m).

Etymology

The name burundii (from Burundi) refers to the country of the type locality.

Material examined

Twenty one samples from 14 locations; of the 13 old museum samples examined, nine were initially labelled as Cubitermes ugandensis and four as C. basilewskyi (nomen nudum).

Holotype

BURUNDI • soldier; Ruvubu N.P.; 2°56.7′ S, 30°26.3′ E; Sep. 2014; B. Host leg.; study code: DJ 0396; GenBank no PQ679187 (mitogenome); BE RMCA INS.Iso.059458.

Paratypes

BURUNDI • soldier, worker, ♂ (alate); same data as for holotype; BE RMCA INS.Iso.059940 .

Other material examined

BURUNDI • soldier, worker; Moso ; 4°2′ S, 30°8′ E; 4 Jul. 1989; J. Ruelle (?) leg.; study code: DJ 0021; initially C. ugandensis in RMCA; BE RMCA INS. Iso. 059467 • soldier, worker; Kibago ; 4°18.152′ S, 29°55.73′ E; 25 Nov. 2013; Y. Roisin leg.; study code: DJ 0662; GenBank no PQ679212 (mitogenome) BE RMCA INS. Iso. 059464 • soldier, worker; Gihofi–Giharo road pk75; 3°59.124′ S, 30°8.826′ E; 27 Nov. 2013; Y. Roisin leg.; study code: DJ 0661; GenBank nos MN646742 ( COI), MN685948 ( COII), MN686009 ( 28S), PQ679235 (mitogenome); BE RMCA INS. Iso. 059465 • soldier, worker; Mahanga ; 4°14.5′ S, 29°57.6′ E; 29 Nov. 2013; Y. Roisin leg.; study code: DJ 0091; GenBank no KY224661 (mitogenome) BE RMCA INS. Iso. 059462 • soldier, worker; Ruvubu N.P.; 2°56.93′ S, 30°25.777′ E; 29 Nov. 2013; Y. Roisin leg.; study code: DJ 0660; GenBank nos MN685947 ( COII), MN686008 ( 28S), PQ679215 (mitogenome); BE RMCA INS. Iso. 059463 • soldier, worker; Rusigabangazi ; 3°14.5′ S, 30°46.9′ E; 30 Nov. 2013; Y. Roisin leg.; study code: DJ 0107; BE RMCA INS. Iso. 059461 • soldier, worker; Ruvubu N.P.; 2°56.7′ S, 30°26.3′ E; Sep. 2014; B. Host leg.; study code: DJ 0267; GenBank no PQ679217 (mitogenome) BE RMCA INS. Iso. 059459 • soldier, worker, ♀ (alate); Ruvubu N.P.; 3°3.209′ S, 30°30.226′ E; Sep. 2014; B. Host leg.; study code: DJ 0368; BE RMCA INS. Iso. 059460 .

RWANDA • soldier, worker; Gabiro ; 1°30.7′ S, 30°28′ E; 27 Dec. 1934; H. Kirby leg.; study code: DJ 0793; initially C. basilewskyi (unpublished); AMNH, IZC 00321237 • soldier, worker, ♀ (queen); Butare (← Astrida); 2.36°36′ S, 29°45′ E; 10 Jun. 1952; W.V. Harris leg.; study code: DJ 0675; initially C. ugandensis ; NHMUK 13672007 • soldier; Gabiro ; 1°30.5′ S, 30°28′ E; 8 Jul. 1952; W.V. Harris leg.; study code: DJ U079; initially C. ugandensis ; NHMUK 13672008 • soldier, worker; Kinazi ; 2°22′ S, 30°6′ E; 5–8 Jan. 1953; P. Basilewsky leg.; study code: DJ 0022; initially C. ugandensis in RMCA; BE RMCA INS. Iso. 059468 • soldier, worker; Kinazi ; 2°8.5′ S, 30°6′ E; 7 Jan. 1953; P. Basilewsky leg.; study code: DJ 0792; initially C. basilewskyi (unpublished); AMNH, IZC 00321235 • soldier, worker; Kinazi ; 2°8.5′ S, 30°6′ E; 7 Jan. 1953; P. Basilewsly leg.; study code: DJ 0794; initially C. basilewskyi (unpublished); AMNH, IZC 00321234 • soldier, worker; Rukara ; 1°50′ S, 30°28′ E; 4 Feb. 1953; P. Basilewsky leg.; study code: DJ 0791; initially C. basilewskyi (unpublished); AMNH, IZC 00321236 • soldier, worker; Rukara , near Mohasi lake; 1°50′ S, 30°27′ E; 5 Nov. 1953; P. Basilewsky leg.; study code: DJ 0020; initially C. ugandensis in RMCA; BE RMCA INS. Iso. 059466 .

TANZANIA • soldier, ♀ (alate); Bukoba ; 1°20′ S, 31°48′ E; 1937; W.V. Harris leg.; study code: DJ U081; initially C. ugandensis ; NHMUK 13672012 • soldier, worker, ♂ (alate); Geita – Uzinu road; 2°52′ S, 32°14′ E; Sep. 1937; W.V. Harris leg.; study code: DJ 0664; initially C. ugandensis ; NHMUK 13672014 • soldier, ♀ (alate); Katoro ; 3°0′ S, 31°55′ E; Sep. 1937; W.V. Harris leg.; study code: DJ U084; initially C. ugandensis ; NHMUK 13672011 • soldier, worker, ♀ (alate); Mkwese ; 5°38′ S, 34°49′ E; before 1959; P.B. Kemp leg.; study code: DJ 0667; initially C. ugandensis ; NHMUK 13672013 .

Description

Isognathotermes ugandensis burundii subsp. nov. is best characterised by its mitogenome sequence.

Imago

See the description of the imago of I. ugandensis ( Fuller, 1923) with the particularity that, on average, the imago of I. u. burundii subsp. nov. is the second smallest of the four subspecies, best seen in a PCA (“ugbu” in Fig. 65, Table 17).

Soldier

See the description of the soldier of Isognathotermes ugandensis ( Fuller, 1923) .

Worker

See the description of the worker of Isognathotermes ugandensis ( Fuller, 1923) .

Chorology – ecology

Isognathotermes ugandensis burundii subsp. nov. was found in Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania at altitudes between 1200 and 1700 m (average = 1350 m). Its geographic distribution is linked with the central Zambezian miombo woodlands and the Victoria basin forest-savanna mosaic ecoregions.

Molecular data

Six mitogenomes of I. ugandensis burundii subsp. nov. are published alongside this work (GenBank accessions: see Supp. file 3 and ‘Material examined’).

Overall, I. ugandensis burundii subsp. nov. mitogenomes exhibited less than 1% dissimilarity with each other (see Supp. file 4), but 1.2% with I. u. kenyae subsp. nov. (DJ 0599).