118 BULLETIN 108, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



On November 4, 1918, M. A. Murray found numerous mites on 

 nymphs of Reticulitermes virginicus Banks in an artificial colony. 

 This colony was maintained between thin plates of glass, separated 

 by narrow strips of glass, the interior filled with sand and sawdust. 

 The termites were collected at Falls Church, Virginia, on August 23, 

 1918. 



On December 2 these nymphs were covered with mites; many of 

 the termites had died. 



According to Nathan Banks these mites were aU of the immature 

 stage (known as a hypopus) of a Tyroglyphid mite. It is not known 

 that they feed in this stage, but attach themselves to insects for pur- 

 poses of migration. Most of the mites were on the head and legs, 

 while the abdomen would be the best place for a square meal. 



INSECTS. 



No insect parasites of our native termites have been found as yet. 



PREDATORS. 



Other than ants, many forms of insectivorous animal life prey on 

 termites, especially at the time of the swarm, when they are attracted 

 to the cloud of flying insects. Lizards, barnyard fowls, many 

 varieties of wild birds (Snyder, 1916), spiders, crickets, etc., all take 

 their toll of the numbers of swarming termites. 



Among insects, predacious flies capture winged termites. On 

 September 1, 1917, an Asilid fly (HolocepTiala ahdominalis Say) was 

 collected feeding on swarming adults of Reticulitermes liageni Banks 

 in the District of Columbia. An Asilid (Atomosia puella Wieder- 

 mann) was captured by the writer on June 9, 1919, at Falls Church, 

 Virginia, flying with a winged adult of Reticulitermes virginicus 

 Banks shortly after this termite had swarmed. 



When the termites are in their burrows in wood they are also 

 attacked by predators. Centipedes, predacious beetle larvae, and 

 doubtless Dipterous larvae reduce their numbers. 



Termitophilous Insects. 



^'Termitophilous" insects, "guests," or inquiUnes are occasionally 

 present in the colonies of our native termites. The exact relation 

 between these intruding insects and the termites of the colony is not 

 known, but they are evidently tolerated by the termites. This 

 symphily has been attributed by Wheeler (1918) to trophallaxis. 

 A list of these inquilines has been published by Schwarz (1889 and 

 1895); Snyder (1915) also has notes on inquilines. 



The large Termopsis angusticollis Hagen of the Pacific Coast region 

 sometimes has a species of beetle (Valgus califomicus Horn) in its 

 colonies. These were found by the writer at Little Bear Lake, 

 California, at an elevation of 5,000 feet. Beetles of this Scarabaeid 

 genus are commonly found in colonies of Reticulitermes in eastern 



