REVISION OF NEARCTIC TERMITES. 149 



Species of Reticulitermes were found to be absent or not common on 

 the mainland of the east coast of southern Florida, where outcrops of 

 eroded, hard, oolitic limestone rock (Miami oolite) projecting through 

 the soil are common, in the form of low bare ledges. Possibly the 

 species of the subterranean genus Reticulitermes could not thrive on 

 these coral reefs or islands, since they could not bore through the 

 coral. Similar conditions prevail on the mainland where there are 

 outcrops of the oolitic limestone rock, especially in the pineland 

 ''barrens." 



Coral, limestone rock, and dry sand in localities near the coast are 

 all unfavorable conditions in which to excavate habitations, and the 

 usually abundant species of Reticulitermes were rare or absent. 



Their absence or rarity in these locations may be due, however, to 

 the fact that the species which are not subterranean might be better 

 adapted to survive introduction living in driftwood logs, such as 

 species of Kalotermitidae and the species Prorhinotermes simplex 

 Hagen, which occur in "hammocks" on the offshore keys. How- 

 ever, species of both genera occur in the Lower Everglades. P. 

 simplex has somewhat similar habits to species of Reticulitermes; 

 that is, it lives in moist wood which it infests directly, however, and 

 not indirectly through the ground. 



Wherever they occur — in India, Japan, Europe, or the United 

 States — the species of Reticulitermes are very injurious to the wood- 

 work of buildings and their contents. In the United States such 

 damage is more common in the Southern States, but damage 

 has been recorded as far north as Manchester, New Hampshire, and 

 the shores of the Great Lakes (Benton Harbor, Michigan). 



No insects occurring in houses are capable of domg greater damage 

 than termites, for the injuries are often hidden until the damage is 

 beyond repair. Fortunately they are not often present in houses 

 in the Northern States. Such damage is more common and serious 

 in the Southern States, and, as the Tropics are approached, becomes 

 a menace to the woodwork of buildings. Aside from the foundation 

 timbers (pi. 25), the interior woodwork of buildings and the material 

 stored therein, such as books, paper (pi. 26), cloth, etc., termites will 

 also destroy stationary furniture and even the carpet, rugs, oilcloth 

 or linoleum laid over infested flooring. 



The swarming of the colonizmg adults in infested buildings often 

 causes considerable surprise and anxiety to the inhabitants. The 

 insects get into the food and spread all over the table at meal time; 

 they crawl over people and fly in their faces, and are a general nuisance. 

 These insects swarm in great abundance and are often swept up in 

 large numbers by the careless householder without further thought, 

 being considered merely ''winged ants," probably coming from out- 

 of-doors, and it is not realized that they threaten the integrity of the 



