216 



NOTES ON SOME DIPTERA FOUND IN ASSOCIATION WITH 



TERMITES. 



By Gerald F. Hill. F.E.S. 



(Nine Text-figures.) 



Duiiiig investigations into tlie l)iology of Termites I have had oeeasiou to 

 open up the gallei'ies of Ma^totermes daruiniensis Frogg. and Calotermes irre- 

 gularis Frogg. in the trunks of living trees, and in them I have frequently found 

 tlie larvae and pupae of Triipaneidae and Syrphidae. As this mode of existence 

 appears to be unusual, I propose to record some observations made in the 

 Northern Territory and North Queensland in this conneetiou and to describe as 

 new one species belonging to the latter family. 



In a recent paper (1921) 1 have referred, inter alia, to the habit in Ma--<- 

 tolermes danoiniensis of entering the trunks of living trees below the surface 

 of the soil, and tunnelling upwards for some distance in the interior before 

 making their appeara7ue in the bark or sapwood. External evidence of such in- 

 festation is to be found in the presence of a discoloured watery exudation from 

 cracks in the bark, and, later, in the deposit of an earthy cement-like material, 

 moulded l)y the Termites tn prevent the ingress of light and predaceous animals 

 into the galleries which lie immediately beneath it. On removal of the pro- 

 tecting layer of hark and cement, these galleries ai'e often found to contain 

 a considerable c|uantity of (luid matter of more or less offensive odour. In or 

 near tliis fluid I have found, (1) the eggs and larvae of Hioxa termito.rena 

 Bezzi, in Coconut palms and Poineiana trees, in Darwin, Northern Territory, 

 (2) the eggs, larvae and pupae of Psilota sp., in Poineiana and Mango trees in 

 Darwin, (3) the larvae and pupae of Psilota ci/anca, n.sj). in Fig trees (Ficmi 

 sp.) in Townsville, N.Q.. and (4) the larvae and pupae of ( .') Microdot! sp., 

 in .Mango trees in Darwin. In an earlier paper (1915) 1 recorded having found 

 the larvae of liio.ra termito.rena Bczzi (tlien undescribed) in the galleries of 

 Cnhitrrmrs irrefjularis in a living tree of unilctcrniincd species. 



F^imily TK YPANEIDAE. 



RiOXA TERMITOXBNA Bezzi. 



An unsuc<essful attempt was made to rear the young larvae of /?. termi- 

 toxena in various fruits, and to induce the adults to breed in captivity. Under 

 nat\iral conditions tlie larvae reach maturity in the galleries of, and in amity 

 with, the termites, then fall to the ground, where tliey pupate a few inches 

 below tlie surface. The duration of the ])up:il stage is from 8 to 11 days. The 



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