144 BULLETIN 108, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



CBYPTOTERMES INFUMATUS Banks. 



For taxonomy see pp. 38-39. 



Only one colonizing adult of this termite has been found; this was 

 collected by the late F. C. Pratt at Cotulla, Texas, on April 17, 1906. 

 The writer spent two days at this locality the first part of May, 1917, 

 but was unable to find a trace of this termite or its work. 



CRYPTOTERMES BREVIS Walker. 



This Cuban species of Cryptotermes is larger than C. cavifrons 

 Banks of Florida. There is another marked difference; in the 

 soldier caste the front of the head is tuberculate in outline (fig. 23, 

 3), whereas cavifrons has a smooth front (fig. 23, 2). This termite 

 occurs in St. Thomas, West Indies, Jamaica, Mexico, and Santiago 

 de las Vegas, Cuba (collected by P. Cardin), and also in South and 

 Central America. According to Hagen (1860) the adults swarm in 

 March in Cuba; E. A. Schwarz collected winged adults at Cayamas 

 "16/2." C. hrevis might very easily be introduced into the United 

 States where we already have quite enough species of termites.^ 



P. Cardin kindly sent the writer the following notes, with speci- 

 mens of C. hrevis collected flying on May 28, 1918, at Santiago de las 

 Vegas, Cuba: 



They are extremely abundant in the old building of the experiment station, espe- 

 cially after dusk in the spring time, and more so after heavy rains. They are harmful 

 to furniture, books, papers, clothing, etc. The winged adults are much attracted to 

 lights and shed their wings as soon as disturbed, or when falling to the ground, with 

 much easiness. After losing the wings the male follows the female closely (attracted 

 by an odor at the caudal end?). They seem to smell the caudal end every time they 

 get close to it. Many dry up and die, but when they succeed in founding new col- 

 onies they are also found in couples. Books and papers have to be kept away from 

 the tables and the lights put out during the swarm in this building on account of 

 this termite. 



References to taxonomic, biological, or economic literature. 



1853. Walker, F. Catalog. Neuroptera, Brit. Mus., pt. 3, p. 524. {Termes brevis 



Walker.) 

 1858. Hagen, H. A. Linnaea Entom., vol. 12, pp. 68-70. 

 1860. Hagen, H. A. Linnaea Entom., vol. 14 (Nachtrag), p. 101. (Calotermes 



brevis Walker.) 

 1904. Desneux, J. (Wytsman, P., Gen. Insectorum, fasc. 25), Isoptera, Termitidae, 



p. 23. {Calotermes brevis Walker.) 

 1910. Holmgren, N. Kgl. Svenska. Vetensk. Akad. Handl., vol. 46, No. 6, pp. 53 



and 55. (Cryptotermes brevis Walker.) 

 1916. Van Zwaluwenburg, R. H. Kept. Porto Rico Agric. Exper. Sta., Rept. of 



the Entomologist, Nov. (Leucotermes, species.) 



1 Since this bulletin was sent to press, Cryptotermes brevis has been found at Key West, Florida. On May 

 31, 1919, L. R. Warner and H. L. Sanford found winged adults in water in a washbowl in a house. This 

 was said to be a nightly occurrence and numbers get in every night between 7 and 10 p. m. The floor was 

 covered with the shed wings of the more fortunate. The insects were infesting furniture, as the wash- 

 stand, etc. 



