448 XKW ASV RARE AUSTRALIAN TtElilTES, WITH NOTES ON THEIR BIOUXJY, 



Head (Figs. 38 and 39) very short, wide and deep, sides widening slightly 

 to a promineuee above the insertion of the antennae, abruptly truncate anteriorly, 

 the upper margin sinuate and overhanging tlie deeply excavated front, anterior 

 of dorsal surface of head rugose, the whole surface linely shagi'eened, a large, 

 black tubercle on either side projecting fonvai-d from the front mesad of the 

 antenna! fossa. Clypeus indistinct, moderately large, anterior margin mem- 

 branous. Labrum about twice as long as wide, rounded on the sides to the 

 bluntly pointed apex, where there are two long and several short setae. Antennae 

 13-jointed, short and stout, 1st joint about twice as long and a little wider than 

 2nd, widest at apex; 2nd curved, a little widened at apex, 3rd about half as 

 long as 2nd and narrower; 4th half as long as 3rd and about as wide, smallest; 

 5th-lltli rounded, increasing in length and becoming more stalked progressively; 

 12th a little longer and narrower than 11th; 13th shorter and narrower than 

 12th, oval. Eyes small, obliciue, ovaJ, indistinct. Mandibles (Fig. 40) short 

 and stout, with two teeth on each side, those on the light being further from 

 the apex and more acute than those on the left. 



Prntiotum wider than long and overlapping the base of the head, bent down 

 at the sides, anterior margin deeply concave in the middle, sinuate towards the 

 sides, sides a little rounded and sloping to the sinuate posterior margin, clothed 

 ■with a few setae, median suture distinct, a deep depression on either side behind 

 the anterior margin. Meso- and metauotum about as wide as inonotum, pos- 

 terior margin nearly straight. 



Legs short and stout ; femora thickened ; tibiae nearly cylindrical ; claws 

 short and stout, empodium small. Tibial spines 3:3: 3, serrate. 



Abdomen long and narrow, wide at base, bluntly rounded at apex ; segments 

 with a scanty fringe of setae. Cerei very short and stout at base. 



Measurements : 



Total leng-th 4.50-5.00. 



ITead, to apex of mandibles, long 1.(545; from base to ant<'rior inaigin of 



truncate front, long 1.128; wide 1.175; deep 0.940. 

 Thorax and abdomen, long 3.290. 

 Pronotum, long 0.893; wide 0.175. 

 Til)ia iii. 0.800. 

 Al)domen, wide 1.175. 



Biology: On 12th May, 19 L9, a colony of these termites was found in one 

 of several pieces of imported soft wood (portion of a dismantled chicken coop) 

 lying upon the ground. The wood was free from all traces of decay and was 

 quite sound excepting for the damage done by the insects. The forms found 

 in the passages comprised about 1 dozen soldiers, 80 alate adults and as many 

 nymphac. Twenty days later another piece of wood' from the same source and 

 position was examined and found to contain numerous egg's, a mature king and 

 (|ueen, about .30 soldiers and many nymphs, but no alate forms. The queen 

 was in a gallery not differentiated from those occupied by the other forms and 

 the eggs were scattered tlirougliout all jiarts of the infested wood. A few sol- 

 diers and nyiniihac were talcen on subsequent d.ates but no more alate forms were 

 found in the remaining pieces of wood, although several were captured between 

 7.30 and 8.30 p.m. at a lamp in the house close by, i.e., one each on 2nd and 3rd 

 June, 2 each on 8th and 20th .Tune. No further observations were made in this 

 vicinity, but at my present residence, about 3 mile distant, I took one winged 

 form at a lamp on each of the following nights, i.e.. 20th Aug. 1919. 6/8/20, 

 18/9/20, 18/10/20. 12/3/21, 13/3/21, 27/3/21, 28/3/21, 29/3/21, 17/7/21, 

 27 7 '21. 



