27G 



AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY 



Fig. 31 I •— 



Queen ter- 

 mite, Ter- 

 mes gilvus. 



in natural size the queen of a species found in India. The dark spots 

 along the rniddle of the dorsal wall of the abdomen 

 are the chitinized parts of that region; the lighter 

 portions are made up of the very much stretched 

 membrane uniting the segments. This queen is a 

 comparatively small one ; in some species the queens 

 become from 150 to 200 mm. in length; of course 

 such a queen is incapable of locomotion, but lives 

 with its mate inclosed in a royal chamber ; their food 

 is brought to them and the eggs are carried away by 

 workers. In our native species the queens do not 

 become so greatly enlarged and do not lose the power 

 of movement. 



A remarkable peculiarity in the habits of termites 

 is that the association of the male and the female is 

 a permanent one ; the king and the queen live together 

 in the nest, and there is repeated coition. 



The second reproductive caste. — There are fre- 

 quently foimd in the nests of termites neoteinic 

 sexual forms; that is, individuals which are sexually 

 mature but which retain the nymphal form of the 

 body, having short wing-buds which do not develop 

 further. These individuals constitute the second 

 reproductive caste, which is represented by both males 

 and females. The members of this caste are pale in 

 color; their compound eyes are only slightly pig- 

 mented; and they never leave the nest unless by subterranean tun- 

 nels. If a primary king or queen dies, its place is taken by individuals 

 of the second reproductive caste. For this reason, the members of 

 this caste are commonly known as substitute kings and queens or as 

 complemental kings and queens. The substitute 

 queens produce comparatively few eggs, and conse- 

 quently it requires several of them to replace a pri- 

 mary queen. Many pairs of substitute kings and 

 queens are commonly foimd in orphaned nests. 

 The third reproductive caste. — In some cases there 

 have been foimd adult neoteinic sexual forms which 

 resemble workers in lacking wing-buds. These are 

 known as ergatoid kings and queens. 



The workers. — If a termite nest be opened at any 

 season of the year there will be found a large nimiber 

 of wingless individuals of a dirty white color, usually 

 blind, and of the form represented by Figure 312. 

 These are named the workers, for upon them devolve 

 nearly all of the labors of the colony. A study of the internal anatomy 

 of workers has shown that both sexes are represented in this caste; 

 the reproductive organs are, however, only little developed as a rule; 

 but occasionally workers capable of laying eggs are foimd. The 

 worker caste is not always present; it is absent in the genera Kalo- 



Fig. 312. — A 

 worker. 



