30 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATI02!TAL, MUSEUM. vol.64, 



Genus NASUTITERMES Banks. 



In 1920 Nathan Banks adopted the generic name Nasutitermes for 

 a species of the genus Eutermes Fritz Mliller. In 1912 Nils Holmgren 

 subdivided the genus '^ Eutermes '' into 20 subgenera, based not only 

 on differences in the winged adults but also to differentiate the 

 various forms of nasuti or soldiers. Species in these subgenera not 

 only differ taxonomically but also in biology, and they have been 

 adopted by the writer. 



Species of the genus Nasutitermes are widely distributed tliroughout 

 the world's tropical and subtropical regions; there are a great number 

 of species and some species are apparently quite variable and seem to 

 intergrade. 



Most species are wood borers and are destructive to timber and 

 the woodwork of buildings. 



Many species of Nasutitermes construct carton tree nests which 

 sometimes contain several first-form queens. In some species second- 

 form queens have been found, and in case of large distended queens 

 from the Solomon Islands there is a series of intermediate queens 

 (pigmented) ranging from second-form queens with short wing pads 

 to queens with long wing pads, like first-form nymphs. 



NASUTITERMES COLUMBICUS Holmgren. 



Winged adult. — Head dark brownish-black, shiningj longer than 

 broad, rounded posteriorly, with long hairs. Fontanelle small, nar- 

 row, slit-like with a forked tip, between the eyes. 



Antenna yelloY\^-brown, 16 segments, pubescent; first segment 

 elongate, cylindrical; second shorter and narrower than first; third 

 approximately one-half the length of the second, narrower, ring- 

 like, with more color; fourth longer than third, more ring-like; fifth 

 longer than fourth; segments become longer toward apex; last seg- 

 ment elongate and suboval. 



Eye purplish, small but prominent (bulging) , close to lateral margin 

 of head (separated by a distance less than half an eye diameter). 

 Ocellus small, elongate, separated from eye by a distance equal to 

 approximately twice its short diameter, fairly deeply inset. 



Labrum yellow-broAvn, broader than long, broadly rounded anter- 

 iorly but truncate and slightly emarginate at tip, with long hairs. 



Post-clypeus j^ellow-brown, over three times as broad as long, 

 bilobed, not bulging, posterior margin not markedly concave. 



Pronotum same color as head, not twice as broad as long, slightly 

 emarginate anteriorly (but margin nearly straight), anterior corners 

 elevated, sides rounded, slope fairly sharply to posterior margin 

 where more emarginate. than anteriorly, pronotum sub triangular, 

 with long hairs. 



