SOUTH AFRICAN TERMITES. 77 



IXd. Rhinotermes ittokius Sjostedt. 

 Plate X, figs. 155-166. 



The following" notes are based upon too few Avings and 

 wing-sacs to be at all conclusive. As far as the observations 

 go, they are, however, sufficiently interesting and important 

 to include. 



The Rhinotermes wing has much in common with the 

 Metatermite type, more especially the more generalised as 

 represented by Termes and Odontotermes. The principal 

 differences lie in the absence of any trace of thesub-costa and 

 in the greater area of the stump of the fore wing. As in the 

 Metatermite wing the outer margin is supported by a pair of 

 equally rigid, closely set, simple, and parallel ribs, and the 

 remainder of the wing field by two principal flexible ribs. 

 As compared with the wings of Hodotermes, Calotermes, 

 Cryptotermes, the outer field is remai-kably reduced. The 

 two outer ribs are the costa and radius, and although no 

 auxiliaries lie between them in the lamina, and the radius 

 sends no branches to the costa, the two are connected by a 

 number of struts, each forming a narrow isthmus and all 

 arranged like the rungs of a ladder, figs. 155, 156 (PI. X). 

 The two remaining ribs I recognise as the pseudo-media and 

 cubitus. In tlie fore wing these two fuse at the line of 

 fracture, but within the wing-stump they are separated by a 

 conspicuous fusiform space, fig. 157 (PI. X). In the hind 

 wing, the pseudo-media is attached to the radius just outside 

 the line of fracture, and in this wing there is a marginal anal 

 so atrophied as to be almost negligible, fig. 158. 



The pseudo-media is more amply branched than in Hodo- 

 termes ; and, as the radius has no inner (or sector) branches, 

 it extends to the apex of the wing. Because it partakes of 

 the nature of the cubitus it is well branched and the offsets of 

 these tAvo ribs support the inner wing-margin. 



In figs. 157, 158 it will be noticed that in the wing-stump 

 the costa is divided ; the lower branch is the post-costa. 



