Coleopterological Notices. 181 



that the more highly specialized forms such as Spirachtha, Corotoca 

 and Termitogaster, are very nearly contemporaneous in origin with 

 the termites, while the less specialized forms such as Philotermes 

 and the genera here described, are intermediate in age between the 

 termites and true ants, since the latter genera are scarcely more 

 modified than the majority of myrmecophilous forms. 



TERMITOGASTER Casey. 



In elytral structure the following species is an anomaly, and has 

 scarcely a parallel in the entire order. 



T. flssipennis n. sp. — Anterior parts slender, compactly joined, parallel 

 and subcylindrical ; abdomen strongly inflated ; color pale brownisli-flavate 

 throughout, the exposed membranous portions white, the elytra slightly pice- 

 ous ; integuments slightly alutaceous, very sparsely setose. 



Head scarcely as long as wide, not deflexed ; sides short and parallel ; basal 

 angles narrowly rounded ; base subtruncate, broadly arcuate, fitted into the 

 apex of the prothorax almost throughout its width, the neck very wide; upper 

 surface covered rather sparsely with minute subasperate points, very feebly 

 convex, broadly, feebly impressed in the middle. Ei/es rather large, almost 

 evenly oval, very slightly longer than wide, convex and distinctly prominent, 

 finely faceted, longer and slightly more prominent than the tempora. Antenme 

 about two-fifths as long as the body, rather slender, cylindrical, loosely articu- 

 lated, strongly geniculate ; basal joint subequal to the next three combined ; 

 two to four decreasing rapidly in length, the latter just visibly longer than 

 wide, obtrapezoidal, the sides but very feebly oblique ; four to ten almost 

 exactly similar, the ninth as long as wide, the tenth just visibly transverse ; 

 eleventh cylindro-ovoidal, pointed, as long as the two preceding ; all the joints 

 sparsely setose and also finely pubescent, more densely so toward apex and. 

 almost glabrous toward base ; basal joint inserted in a small rounded entirely 

 dorsal fovea, adjacent to the antero-superior margin of the eye. Front before 

 the antennse advanced and strongly arcuate at apex, the surface just before 

 the apical margin elevated in two broad approximate cariniform tubercles, 

 immediately in advance of which the surface is very short and strongly decliv- 

 ous, the apical margin with a very miniite deep rounded emargination, having 

 the sides in the form of fine carinse and with the apical projections extremely 

 fine and acute, but not greatly advanced. Lahrum distinct, transverse, broadly, 

 strongly sinuate at apex, with the surface strongly impressed opposite the 

 sinuation, separated from the front by a membranous sheath. Mentum large, 

 longer than wide, broadly impressed ; apex very slightly narrower than the 

 base ; sides parallel. Ligula very short, membranous, sinuate at apex — viewed 

 dorsally — with a short cylindrical porrect process projecting from the bottom 

 of the sinuation, the paraglossse apparently entirely obsolete. Labial pal/d 

 very small, slender, the three joints decreasing uniformly and rapidly in width, 



