'278 CLAUDE FULLER. 



(6) Eutermes (Trinervitermes) trinervif ormis et al. 



Fig. 10, a-ti. 



Antennal Index, — Imago XVII, XVI, XV ; major worker 

 XV, XIV; minor worker XV, XIV; major nasutu XV, 

 XIV, XIII ; minor nasutu XIV, XIII, XII. 



Covering the face of South Africa is an endless series of 

 more or less similar mounds, the homes of very similar 

 termites belonging to Holmgren's subgenus Trinervi- 

 termes. At one time or another these mound-builders 

 have been mentioned in literature as the Termes (or 

 Eutermes) trinervius of Rambur. That Rambur's insect 

 •occurs in South Africa is, however, extremely unlikely. If 

 Sylvestri^s account of Rambur's species is correct, the one 

 first described by Haviland as Termes trinervius Ramb. 

 and later by Sjostedt as Eutermes trinervius {Ramh.) 

 is certainly not agreeable with the common Senegal form, 

 and up to the present I have not succeeded in obtaining any 

 local form that is. Among our South African Trinervi- 

 termes I recognise perhaps six which are sufficiently distinct. 

 These can be broadly separated into two groups — those 

 building cellular mounds, and those constructing hidden nests 

 ■of a similar nature under stones. Apart from the inter- 

 mingling of those belonging to one or the other of these two 

 groups, each species tends to be restricted to areas which are 

 not demarcated by land configurations, but rather by the 

 predominance of certain grasses. Thus one, which will be 

 referred to Eutermes (T.) trinervif ormis Holmgren, 

 •although wide-spread, is confined to those parts of the 

 country where the gi'ass Themeda forshalli is dominant — 

 in short, to that type of veld classed as " sour," or which, 

 Avith overstocking, tends to become sour. 



Here I may exphxin that Eutermes (T.) trinervif ormis 

 Holmgren is identical with Haviland's Termes trinervius 

 Rambur, and, further, is not separable from Holmgren's other 

 Natal species bulbiceps, auriceps and dubius. 



Imago. — Treated as a group the imago antennte of the 



