298 



which are usually of small diameter, and these as well as the 

 entrance hole are often stopped with a parchment-like curtain. 

 At a later period in the life of the colony the queen becomes 

 enlarged by the distention of the abdomen with eggs and fat 

 body and then the hard chitinous sclerites appear as narrow 

 transverse plates on the dorsal and ventral surface of the white, 

 soft, unchitinized integument. At seasonal periods, usually in 

 the winter months, large numbers of nymphs are produced, and 

 with the first warm spring weather, usually in May, these trans- 

 form to adult winged individuals and swarm. The swarm usual- 

 ly occurs from dusk on into the night. Lighter swarming or in- 

 dividual emergence continues on through the summer. Occa- 

 sionally a flying individual will be observed in mid-winter. 

 Flights often occur after a rain. As previously related, the in- 

 dividuals engaged in the swarm are colonizing forms, adult males 

 and females, which eventually cast their wings and settle down 

 to the establishment of a new nest. 



Habits of Coptotennes intrudcns — typical of Copfotermitinae. 

 The colonies of this species, while beginning as far as it is known 

 in the usual way, ultimately become very large, the individuals 

 numbering many thousands. Soldiers are very numerous and 

 are peculiar in the possession of long sickle-shaped mandibles and 

 a frontal gland, from which a white, acrid fluid is expelled when 

 the insect is molested. The queen has never been observed. 



Unlike the species of Kalotermitinae referred to, this species 

 cannot endure in dry wood. It appears to be very sensitive in 

 respect to moisture conditions and a dry atmosphere if long con- 

 tinued is eventually fatal to it. It constructs its nests therefore 

 in or near the ground, and as wood is consumed it is replaced 

 by a mixture of earth, abdominal excreta and saliva. If forced 

 to build the nest above ground soil is carried up into it and main- 

 tains the proper degree of humidity by absorption of moisture 

 from the atmosphere. This species swarms at night in the 

 spring of the year. An idea can then be gained of the vast num- 

 bers in their crowded nests, for they are on the wing about 

 electric arc lights literally in clouds. Few of these individuals 

 survive, however, as they are easy prey for ants. Those which 

 do survive can usually be found later under fragments of wood 

 where they attempt to start new colonies. A few eggs are laid 

 in a hollow depression in the ground from which a beginning is 

 made. Apparently eggs at first are not deposited continuously 

 from day to day, but the initial lot hatch before a new batch is 

 laid. The colony is built up very slowly but later when the tgg 

 laying capacity of the queen is developed to its full extent multi- 

 plication is effected rapidly, and the destructive capacity of the 

 species is readily realized. The nests observed have not been of 

 extraordinary size, never more than five cubic feet, I believe. 

 The necessities of the growing colony in the wav of fresh wood 



