Termites have developed a wide array of defensive mechanisms. One of them is the mandibulate soldier caste that crushes or pierces their enemies. However, in several lineages of Termitinae, soldiers have long and slender mandibles that cannot bite but, instead, snap and deliver powerful strikes to their opponents. Here, we use morphological and molecular evidence to describe Roisinitermesebogoensis Scheffrahn, gen. & sp. n. from near Mbalmayo, Cameroon. Soldiers of R.ebogoensis are unique among all other kalotermitid soldiers in that they possess snapping mandibles. The imago of R.ebogoensis is also easily distinguished from all other Kalotermitidae by the lack of ocelli. Our study reveals a new case of parallel evolution of snapping mandibles in termites, a complex apparatus responsible of one of the fastest biological acceleration rates measured to date.

Département des sciences biologiques Ecole normale supérieure Université de Yaoundé 1 BP 47 Yaoundé Cameroon Université de Yaoundé 1 Yaoundé Cameroon

Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Czech Republic Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University Tancha Japan

Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences 3205 College Avenue Davie Florida 33314 USA Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences Davie United States of America

IRD Sorbonne Universités iEES Paris Bondy France Sorbonne Universités Paris France

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University 1919 1 Tancha Onna son Okinawa 904 0495 Japan Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Czech Republic

University Paris 13 Sorbonne Paris Cité LEEC EA4443 Villetaneuse France University Paris Paris France

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