50 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 68 



Spinitermes Wasmann. Soldiers of species of Mirotermes flip or 

 snap particles of earth with their elongate mandibles and this method 

 of defense is very effective against ants, etc. Species in this sub- 

 genus are widely distributed throughout the world (in the Southern 

 Hemisphere) ; only six species have been described from America. 

 Only one species (and this new to science) was found in Bolivia. 



MIROTERMES (MIROTERMES) BOLIVIANUS, new species 



Soldier. — Head yellowish, darker anteriorly, narrow, slightly 

 broader anteriorly, sides nearly parallel (slightly concave in middle), 

 broadly rounded posteriorly, truncate anteriorly, an elongate, tri- 

 angular median frontal process, with pointed upturned tip, markings 

 at base differ from those in panamaensis Snyder, head with scattered, 

 fairly long hairs, dense on apex of frontal process. 



Labrum white with tinge of yellow, elongate, narrow, concave at 

 middle, with two lateral elongate slender pointed lobes, with long 

 hairs. 



Mandibles black, elongate, slender, bowed, incurved at apex, left 

 mandible finely roughened (serrate) at inner margin near apex 

 (as is M. {M.) panamaensis Snyder). 



Antenna light yellow -brown, 14 segments, pubescent; second seg- 

 ment longer than third which is longer than fourth ; from fifth on, 

 segments become longer and broader toward apex; last segment 

 elongate, slender and pointed at tip. 



Pronotum white, tinged with yellow, saddle-shaped, slightly 

 emarginate anteriorly and posteriorly, short, sides slope markedly to 

 posterior margin, with long hairs. 



Legs white, tinged with yellow, claws brown, elongate, slender, 

 pubescent. 



Abdomen dirty-gray-white tinged with yellow, with dense short 

 hairs and row of longer hairs at base each tergite; cerci fairly 

 prominent. 



Meas urements . — 



Length of entire soldier, 4.90 mm. 

 Length of head with mandibles, 3.20 mm. 

 Length of head to anterior. 1.70 mm. 

 Length of left mandible, 1.75 mm. 

 Length of pronotum, 0.30 mm. 

 Length of hind tibia, 0.80 mm. 

 Width of head anteriorly, 0.90 mm. 

 Width of head posteriorly, 0.80 mm. 

 Width of pronotum, 0.55 mm. 



The soldier of Miroterpies {M.) boUvianus Snyder has a nar- 

 rower head and a longer and more pointed frontal process than 

 M. {M.) panamaensis Snyder and hispaniolae Banks (which is nar- 



