263 



COPTOTERMES RAFFRAYI Wasman (Earn. TEBMITIDAE). 



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



(Fifteen Text-figiires. ) 



This Terinite was described in These Proceedings (Vol. xxv., 1900, p. 244) 

 from specimens of the soldier caste collected by A. M. Lea near the Swan 

 River, Western Australia, but its validity as a distinct species has not been 

 accepted generally by more recent writers. Thus, Desneux (1904) included it, 

 and the two earlier described species C. lacteus Froggatt and C. aciiiaci- 

 formis Froggatt, in the Australian fauna, while Silvestri (1909) regarded it as 

 synonymous witli C. lacteus Frogg. Holmgren (1911) merely referred to Silves- 

 tri's remarks and omitted it from his list of species; Froggatt (1915), however, 

 followed Desneux in regarding it as specifically distinct. In his list of Aus- 

 tralian species the latter writer did not include C. michaelseni Silvestri, which 

 is certainly a valid species and recognised as such bv Holmgren and Mjoberg 

 (1920). 



The examination of numerous series of Coptotermes from various Australian 

 localities convinces me that determination of species, based on soldiers and 

 workers only, cannot always be made satisfactorily and that, in some eases, re- 

 ference to the alate forms is essential. From the published description the dif- 

 ferences in the soldier caste of C. raffrai/i Wasm. and C. lacteus Frogg. appear 

 to be so slight that one might, with rea.son. hesitate to regard them as specific, 

 but with the material now available for study the validity of Wasman's species 

 can, I think, be definitely established. If a comparison of the soldiers here re- 

 garded as C. raffrayi Wasm. with the types reveals specific differences, the for- 

 mer must be regarded as a new species, differing markedly in the alate forms 

 from those hitherto described. With this possibility in view a description of 

 the soldier is given. 



I am indebted to the Autliorities of the South Australian Museum for the 

 privilege of examining co-types of C. lacteus Frogg. and to Jlessrs. J. Clark and 

 (". F. Hill, for tlie specimens described hereunder. 



Coptotermes raffrayi Wasman. (Figs. 1 — 15.) 



These Proceedings, Vol. xxv.. 1900, p. 244. 



Jmugo. (Figs. 1—8.) 



Colour: Head, thorax and tergites 2 — 7 of abdomen dark chestnut, apical 

 half of 8th and the whole of the 9th and 10th tergites ochraceous-orange, head 

 davke.st. labrum. post-clypeus. antennae, excepting first two segments, and palpi 



