184 BULLETIN 108, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Workers and soldiers were again found by George Hofer on July 26 

 in the roots of dead and broken off stems of Encelia ferrinosa, and 

 in the roots of an injured but living bush of Artemesia, species, on 

 July 30, in this same locality. 



SWARMING. 



Winged adults have been collected flying at Oracle, Arizona, on 

 July 5 (Hubbard and Schwarz) ; on July 9, at Fort Grant, Arizona 

 (Hubbard), and on July 5,14, and 28 at Sabino Canyon, Santa Catalina 

 Mountains, Arizona (at light, Hofer). 



References to biological or economic literature. 



1916. Snyder, T. E. Bull. U. S. Dept. Agric. No. 333, p. 12-13, Feb. 16 (Hami- 



tenrnes tubiformans Buckley). 

 1919. Snyder, T. E. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., vol. 21, No. 5, pp. 97-104, May. 



AMITERMES (TERMES) WHEELERI Desneux. 



For taxonomy see pp. . 59-62 



Desneux (1905) described this termite, in 1905, from specimens 

 of soldiers and workers from Texas, sent to him by Prof. W. M. 

 Wheeler. The type locality is Belton, Texas, April, 1902, W. M. 

 Wheeler collector. It is widely distributed throughout southwestern 

 Texas. The writer found this small species from San Antonio south 

 to Brownsville and Cotulla and west to El Paso. 



Unlike the two other species of Amitermes just discussed, namely, 

 tubiformans Buckley and arizonensis Banks — while subterranean in 

 habit, this termite is also a destructive wood borer. Like Amitermes 

 californicus Banks, a similar small species of California, this termite 

 is often found between the lower rosettes of leaves and in the dead 

 flower stalks of species of Agave which the Mexicans call " Lechuguilla " 

 — growing on the foothills near Laguna (Uvalde County) and El 

 Paso. 



A. wJieeleri damages the foundations of buildings, windmill towers, 

 poles, fences, etc., and any wood in contact with the ground. The 

 wood is honeycombed. 



This species is also found under and in dry cow chips associated 

 with A. tubiformans and Anoplotermes fumosus Hagen. It was in 

 such a habitat that the writer first found this termite at Brownsville, 

 Texas, on April 23, 1917, under and in dry cow chips and in the 

 ground near Fort Brown in a wooded pasture land, the trees being 

 mesquite, huisach (Acacia farnesiana) and "catsclaw." The writer 

 at once recognized it as something he had never seen before and, not 

 knowing that Desneux's species " Termes" wheeleri was an Ajniter- 

 mes, thought that this small species (the soldier having short, curved, 

 sickle-shaped mandibles) was the same that F. P. Keen had found in 

 California (A californicus). The soldiers were rare in the colonies. 



I 



