260 



ENTOMOLOGY 



cavated in wood by the mother or else in cracks or other chance 

 cavities. 



One of the carpenter bees, Ccratuia dn/jla, which builds in the hollow 

 stem of a plant a series of larval cells separated by partitions, is said by 

 Comstock to watch over her nest until the young mature. 



The transition from the solitary to the social habit is indicated in the 

 life-histories of wasps and bumble bees, where a solitary queen founds 

 the colony but soon relegates to other individuals all duties except that 

 of egg-laying. The social insects will now r 'be considered. 



TERMITES 



Though popularly known as "white ants," the termites are quite 

 different from true ants, being indeed not very far removed from the 

 most primitive insects. In view of the extreme contrast in structure 

 and development between termites and ants, it is remarkable that the 

 two groups should have much the same kind of complex social organiza- 

 tion. 



Classes of Termites. In general, four kinds of adults are produced 



FIG. 277. Various forms of Tcrmcs lucifugiis. A. adult worker; B, soldier; C, perfect 

 winged insect; D, perfect insect after shedding the wings; E, young complementary queen; 

 F, older complementary queen. Enlarged. After GRASSI and SAXDIAS. 



in a community of termites, namely workers, soldiers, winged males 

 and winged females . 



The workers (Fig. 277, .4), which are ordinarily the most numerous, are 

 of either sex, but their reproductive organs are undeveloped. A worker- 

 ant or bee, however, is always a female. The termite workers, as the 

 name implies, do most of the work; they make the nest, provide food, 

 feed and care for the young and the royal pair, and attend to many other 

 domestic duties. 



The soldiers, like the workers, are of either sex, w r ith undeveloped 



