442 NEW AND RARE AUSTRALIAN TERMITES, WITH NOTES ON THEIR BIOLOGY, 



29) (12) 14-joiiite(l. 1st joint short and stout, 2nd quadrate, about two-thirds 

 the length of 1st, 3rd very short and narrow, smallest of all, 4th as long- but 

 wider tiian 2nd, rounded. 5th to 11th increasing in length, 12th shorter and nar- 

 rower than 11th. Giila long and narrow in the middle, where it is oiie-Hlth the 

 width of tlie head. 



'J'liorax: Pronotuni as in imago, very little narrower than head, margin nar- 

 rowly bordered with ferrugineous. Meso- and metanotum with posterior margin 

 slightly sinuate. In some individuals there is evident development of wing 

 rudiments; in some these ai-e hardly recognisable, in others they are as long as 

 in nymphae of the first form. 



Legs short and stout, with scanty setae, femora thickened. Tibial spines 

 3: 3: 3, serrate. 



Abdomen nearly parallel on tlie sides, bluntly-pointed at the apex, segments 

 with .scanty fringe of fine setae. Orei short and stout. Styli long and 

 slender. 



Measurements : 



Total length 6.50. 



Head, with jaws, hmg 2.820; liase to apex of i-lypeus, long 2.162; wide 

 1.222; deep 1.081. 



Mandibles, long 0.950. 



Antennae (12-jointed) 1.222. 



I'ronotum, long 0.752; wide 1.130. 



Abdomen, wide 1.081. 

 Identification. — 1 am in considerable doubt as to the identification of this 

 species, and for this reason a full description is given of the alate and soldiei* 

 castes. Dr. G. A. K. Marshall, to whom alate forms were submitted, kindly 

 compared them with the damaged types of Calotermes obscurus Walker and 

 (J. convexus Walker. After referring to the differences between Walker's two 

 species. Dr. Marshall suggested that I should provisionally regard my specimens 

 as being referable to tlie first-mentioned. Hagen (1858) and Desneux (1904) 

 place C. obscurus as a synonym of C. convexus. Froggatt (1906) quotes liagen's 

 description of C. convexus, which does not agxee with the species before me, 

 especially in tlie shape of the pronotum. In the description quoted by Froggatt 

 and in Dr. Marshall's notes respectively the posterior margin of the iironotum 

 is stated to be "flattened." or "nearhi straight.'' In my specimens the pronotum 

 is markedly sinuous ])osteriorly, as noted by Dr. Marsiiall in the type of C. 

 cibscuru.'i. Holmgren (1911) refers C. cowaexus doubtfully to the subgenus 

 Cri/ptotermes. 



Mjoberg (1920) omits both of Walker's species from his list of Australian 

 species, presumably as being amongst those which have been too iuconiiilelely 

 described to be identified. 



From the available information it wmihl aiijiear that C. ob.'iciirus (from 

 Western Australia) is not consi)ecific with ('. convexus (from Tasmania), as 

 has been supposed. Whether tlic X'ictorian specimens here described are eon- 

 specifle or not with the furmer can. in view of the damaged condition of the 

 type, only be settled by the examination of a series of alate forms from the type 

 locality (Swan Rivei-. W.A.), where Mr. J. (^hirk has, during the past two 

 years, made a very thorough survey of the termite fauna. 8o far no alate 

 forms have been discovered, but soldiers and nymphae recently <'ollected by him 

 may be consiiecific. the only apparent difference being a .slightly rugose front 

 in the former caste. In view, however, of the slight difference in the soldiers 

 of distinct species, this ditiference may well be specific. Froggatt further quotes 



