PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



VOL. 22 JUNE, 1920 No. 6 



THE COLONIZING REPRODUCTIVE ADULTS OF TERMITES. 



BY THOMAS ELLIOTT SNYDER, Bureau of Entomology. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Introduction 110 



The Three Types of Reproductive forms: 



Description of the adults of the first form of species of Reticulitermes 



Holmgren Ill 



Description of the adults of the second form of species of Reticulitermes 113 



Description of the adults of the third form of species of Reticulitermes. 114 



Occurrence of these three reproductive forms in other genera 115 



Body pigment and eyes 116 



"Intermediate" reproductive forms 1 17 



Other insects with similar reproductive forms 118 



Mobility of the reproductive forms 119 



Habits of the reproductive forms 121 



"Anthropomorphisms" 122 



Trophallaxis or instinctive behavior 123 



The Nymphs of the Three Reproductive forms : 



Description of nymphs of the first form of species of Reticulitermes. . . . 125 



Description of nymphs of the second form of species of Reticulitermes. 125 



Description of nymphs of the third form of species of Reticulitermes . . . 125 

 Description of nymphs of the reproductive forms of other genera of 



termites 126 



Development of the nymphs of the reproductive forms 126 



Comparison of the development of termite nymphs with that of 



nymphs of aphids and Zorotypus 127 



The Methods of Colonization (Formation of New Colonies) : 



(1) Flight of the winged colonizing forms of termites 12S 



Diurnal swarming 129 



Nocturnal swarming 129 



Seasonal variations in the time of swarming 1 29 



(2) "The pseudo-flight" of the second form colonizing adults of Reticu- 



litermes I'irginicus Banks 130 



(3) Subterranean exodus of third form colonizing adult termites 134 



IOQ 



