xvi 



TERMITIDAE 



365 



ment goes on in these individuals after the state of royalty is 

 assumed, or whether the differences between these neoteinic queens 

 are due to the state of development they may happen to be in 

 when adopted as royalties. Kings are not usually present in 

 these Sicilian nests ; twice only has Grassi found a king, but 



FIG. 231. Some of the forms of Termes lucifugus. 1, Young larva ; 2, adult worker ; 

 3, soldier ; 4, young complementary queen ; 5, older substitution queen ; 6, per- 

 fect wiuged Insect. (After Grassi.) 



he thinks that had he been able to search in the months of 

 August and September he would then have found kings. It 

 \vould appear therefore that the complementary kings die, or are 

 killed after they have fertilised the females. Parthenogenesis 

 is not thought to occur, as Grassi has found the sperrnathecae of 

 the complementary queens to contain spermatozoa. 



