‘(WHITE ANTS’? AS PESTS IN THE UNITED STATES. 3 
numerous forms permanently present in the colony. Other forms in 
the colony are the reproductive individuals; in some colonies these 
consist of a single pair, the normal king (fig. 4) and queen (fig. 5), 
while in other colonies many supplementary nymphal (fig. 6) or 
larval types may be present. These reproductive forms never reach 
the size attained by those of certain species of termites in the Tropics 
and never lose the power of movement. 
White ants are essentially wood destroyers and live in nests in the 
wood of dead trees, decaying logs, or stumps in the forest; in the 
Fig. 2.—Mature ‘“‘workers” of the white ant known as Leucotermes flavipes; etherized specimens. 
Enlarged nearly six times. (Original.) 
foundation timbers of buildings, fences, or other structures of wood 
in contact with the ground; or in a labyrinth of underground pas- 
sages in the earth, usually underneath wood or other vegetation. An 
average colony contains several thousand individuals. Owing to 
their subterranean habits and often countless numbers, it is some- 
times very difficult to destroy them when once they are established 
inabuildmg. Always coming up through underground galleries, they 
work in the interior of the wood and leave intact a protective outer 
shell, so that the damage is often unsuspected until beyond repair. 
