Species-level systematics of some Kenyan termites of the genus Odontotermes (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae) using mitochondrial DNA, morphology, and behaviour

The taxonomy of termites of the genus Odontotermes is poorly resolved. We u sed partial sequences from the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene, combin ed with field and laboratory observations, to differentiate among populatio ns of Odontotermes from four localities in Kenya. Three morphologically and behaviourally distinct forms from Kajiado (O. tanganicus (Sjostedt), O. an ceps (Sjostedt) and O. zambesiensis (Sjostedt)) have distinct mitochondrial haplotypes, confirming that these are separate biological species. In cont rast, a form from Kasarani and Karen (O. stercorivorus (Sjostedt)) shares a lmost identical mitochondrial haplotypes with the morphologically and behav iourally distinct O. montanus Harris at Embakasi. O. montanus at Embakasi a nd at Kinangop are fairly similar in behaviour, and at present are morpholo gically indistinguishable, but they have quite distinct mitochondrial haplo types. We present a phylogeny of these mtDNA sequences and discuss it. We c onclude that molecular sequence data provide a practical means of resolving ill-defined morphospecies in this genus.