456 CLAUDE PULLER. 



Termes. 



A study of a lono- series of soldiers and workers from 

 separate nest-series and different localities seems to indicate 

 •that the various insects known as Termes monodon 

 GerstacJcer (1891), badius Haviland (1898), t err i cola 

 Sjostedt (1904) and transvaalensis Sjostedt (1904) are all 

 one and the same insect; if so, the last three fall as 

 -Synonyms to monodon. The reasons for this supposition 

 are as follows : 



(a) The soldier of T. monodon is said to differ from 

 badius (1) in being larger (monodon, total length 7 to 11 

 mm., head with mandibles 4 to 5"2 mm.; badius, total 

 length 7 to 10 mm., head with mandibles 4 to 4*5 mm.) ; (2) 

 in that the eyespots appear to l)e sometimes absent ; (3) in 

 the presence of a rounded median (?) keel upon the frons. 

 But (1) in a nest-series of badius before me the full length 

 range of spirit material is 9 to 12 mm., with head and 



mandibles measuring 4*5 to 5 inm., (2) when killed in spirit 

 many soldiers of badius have the muscles of the head densely 

 stained by the red-staining fluid they eject when attacked and 

 -then the eyespots are always seemingly absent; (3) badius 

 presents a low-rounded transverse keel, and in certain lights 

 and on certain insects even a low median keel can be 

 detected ; (4) I have before me workers of T. badius which 

 have been determined through Dr. Sjostedt as those of T. 

 m o n o d o n . 



(b) The description of T. terricola is the best given in 

 the monograph for the series under review, and, as far as it 

 goes, it applies wholly to badius. It is said to differ (1) in 

 point of size, and (2) in certain impressions or markings on 

 the frons. But (1) it is well within the badius range, and 

 (2) these markings (more or less obsolete ocelli) are always 

 present and, with the minute fontanelle, are quite distinct 

 features in any cleared preparations of the heads of T. 

 badius. 



