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



It will be seen that, while the life history of ants and termites 

 is quite different, in both insects the establishment of incipient 

 colonies is no easy matter, and that the results of this struggle 

 for existence are reflected in the character (both as to caste and 

 stature) of the progeny. 



A discussion follows of the progeny of the different types of 

 termite reproductive forms. 



Progeny of First Form Adults. 



In case of termites, in incipient colonies of species of Reticuli- 

 termes and Termopsis the young couple of dealated adults share 

 the small, shallow cell, at which time the abdomens of both the 

 male and female become slightly distended. This is due both 

 to development of sex organs and body fat. Unlike the young 

 dealated queen ant in an incipient colony, both young parent 

 adults masticate wood for food. The first brood of young de- 

 velop to workers and a few soldiers, these individuals of both 

 castes being slightly smaller than normal adult individuals in 

 old, long-established colonies. No nymphs of sexual adults are 

 produced during the first year ; the reason for this will be explained 

 later. 



This smaller size of workers and soldiers of the first brood may 

 be explained by the fact that, while in the older colonies the young 

 would receive food from and be cared for by a large number of 

 workers, in incipient colonies, the young would receive only the 

 care of the young parent adults. 



The rate of egg laying of the young and active queens of species 

 of Reticulitermes is not very rapid; clusters of eggs in numbers 

 varying from 6 to 12 are in the cells with the young pairs. Hence, 

 the new colony is at first very small; even after rearing the first 

 brood of workers and soldiers the increase in numbers is not 

 rapid. 



About the middle of July, 1912, at Falls Church, Va., about 

 12 small white eggs in a cluster were observed in a cell with a 

 young pair of Reticulitermes ftavipes Kollar. At least three repro- 

 ductive forms were observed, probably two males and one fe- 

 male. These had been captured after the swarm on May 8, in 

 the earth under a small piece of decaying wood. On July 29, 

 the first newly hatched young were observed, and on October 30, 

 seven workers and one soldier surrounded a single dealated pair 

 of reproductive forms. Fragments of the chitinized parts of 

 another dealated reproductive adult were found in the wood near 

 the cell containing the young colony. The abdomen of this egg- 

 laying female, 13 months after swarming, was oblong and some- 

 what distended, the segments of the abdomen being slightly sep- 



