It is with admiration and fondness that we dedicate this special issue of ZooKeys to Professor Kumar Krishna, dean of Isoptera research. This collection of papers is a humble testament of appreciation by the various biologists who are dedicated to studying termites, insects that are popularly maligned but actually of profound behavioral and ecological importance. Kumar’s influence extends beyon...

When I was 6-years-old I wrote a letter to Roy Rogers, the cowboy star of movies and television, asserting that I was his biggest fan. That was the first and only fan letter I ever wrote. When I was invited to speak at a Festschrift for John Bartlett, I quickly replied, “I am much honored to be asked to be part of your proposed celebration of John. I can’t think of anyone in our discipline who ...