138 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 22, NO. 6, JUNE, 1920 



is a tabulated statement of the rearing of a brood by a pair of 

 dealated adults of R. virginicus Banks. 

 On May 18, 1915, at Palls Church, Va. 



Mature nymphs of the first form and those in quiescent stages, also 

 sexual adults attaining wings and mature pigmentation, were placed 

 in rearing. 



June 5, 1915. Sexual adults swarmed. 

 June 25, 1915. First eggs in royal cells in wood. 

 Middle July, 1915. Egg laying completed. 



August 4, 1915. Eggs not yet all hatched, nymphs in various stages of 

 development. Abdomens of queens not markedly distended, males in 

 cells with females. 



December 3, 1915, Workers and soldiers attaining maturity. 

 January 8, 1916. Same. 



February 9, 1916. Workers and soldiers nearly mature, workers 3 mm. 

 in length. Soldiers 4 mm. in length. Eggs in clusters in galleries 

 over 1 dozen. Eggs approximately .70 mm. in length and nearly .5 

 mm. in width, vary in size. Many workers with mutiliated antennae. 

 Reproductive, forms active antennae mutilated and abdomens of 

 queens not markedly distended or the segments as yet separated. 

 February 17, 1916. Eggs as yet unhatched since February 9/16. No 



recently hatched nymphs, only about x /2 dozen eggs observed. 

 March 2, 1916. 2 recently hatched nymphs and 6 unhatched eggs in 



nest, eggs in cluster and active young nymphs near eggs. 

 March 15, 1916. 2 unhatched eggs and 2 recently hatched young ob- 

 served in nest, nymphs near eggs. 



April 5, 1916. Eggs all hatched, nymphs in various stages from recently 

 hatched to twice this size, 3.5 mm. workers, 4.5 mm. soldiers; workers 

 and soldiers 13 segments to antennae, mature. 

 June 6, 1916. Worker 3.5 mm. in length, mature, some soldiers only 



3.5 mm. in length. 



It has been shown that, in incipient colonies of Reticulitermes 

 in southeastern United States, most of the young of the first 

 broods develop to workers with a few soldiers and that no nymphs 

 of the sexual individuals are developed during the first year. The 

 workers constitute the caste most necessary for the welfare and 

 conduct of the new colony. 



Feytaud (1912) obtained no soldiers in the initial broods of 

 colonies of Reticulitermes lucifugus Rossi in Europe; he did find 

 nymphs of sexual adults in colonies during the first year (after 8 

 months) which leads him to the conclusion that this was a sign 

 that the stability of the colony was assured. 



When old, first form queens with distended abdomens are taken 

 from well stocked long-established colonies and are placed in 

 artificial colonies with or without the male and with workers 



