295 



NATURE OF THE TERMITE'^ 



The term "white ant," commonly used for the insects under 

 discussion, prol)ably has such vogue that it cannot be replaced 

 now, but since it associates these insects with the ordinary ant, 

 and one is led to suppose that they differ chiefly in their color, 

 it is confusing and should give w^ay to the more distinctive name 

 "termite." Beyond the circumstance that they are both social 

 insects and that a somewhat imperfect analogy can be drawn 

 between their different foniis and habits, termites have no resem- 

 blance to the ordinary ants and their affinities, based on struc- 

 ture, are with cjuite different insects. The term "borer," ap- 

 plied to them, is likewise insufficiently discriminating, although 

 accurately descriptive of some of the species, particularly those 

 which have been here the longest and with which older residents 

 are familiar. 



Termites, though highly specialized like the ants, are on 

 the other hand insects of relatively low organization and are 

 believed 'to be derived from the ancestors of the Blattidae or 

 cockroaches, which is evident from the structure of the wings 

 of the most primitive form. On account of their specialization, 

 however, they are now held to constitute a distinct order of in- 

 sects, to which the name Isoptera is applied. More than 800 

 species have been described. They are world-wide in distribu- 

 tion, but the tropics contain the richest representation. They 

 have thirteen distinct body segments in addition to the head. 

 The body is terminated by a pair of short cerci, and in the male 

 (and sometimes in the female also) there is a pair of stylets 

 near the middle of the hind edge of the 9th ventral segment. 

 The integument is delicate and the chitinous plates are never 

 very hard. Frecjuently they are so slightly developed that the crea- 

 ture appears to consist of a single membranous sac with creases 

 in it, the head alone being very distinct. The antennae are short, 

 moniliform, multisegmented. The wnngs of termites are not like 

 those of any other insects. The four wings are in repose laid 

 flat on the back, so that the upper one only is seen except at the 

 base. They are membranous and very elongate, extending far 

 beyond the apex of the abdomen. The hind pair is closely simi- 

 lar in size, form and consistence to the front pair. The neura- 

 tion is very simple. The most remarkable feature of the wing, 

 however, is its division into two parts by a suture or line of 

 weakness, along wdiich it can be broken off, the stumps in that 

 case remaining as short, hairy flaps reposing on the back. 



Termites live socially in large or small colonies, and exist in 

 two or three castes, usually a soldier caste (with modified head), 

 a worker caste (absent in Kalotcnnes), and the wnnged caste, 

 which is always present. The winged caste consists of the male and 



3 This general account of the Termites is adapted from Cambridge 

 Natural History (Insects) by David Sharp, chap. XVI. Termites. 



