ORDER V. PLATYPTERA. 



TERMITID^. 



The Termites are commonly called white ants be- 

 cause of their resemblance to the true ants among 

 Hymenoptera. The resemblance, however, is not so 

 great as the name indicates. In structure the two are 

 widely different, as will be seen by comparing the Ter- 

 mitidae with the Formicidoe (see pp. 238, 239). The 

 Termites have become well known in Massachusetts 



Fig. 47. 



of late years from their depredations in our vicinity, 

 notably at the State House. A colony of these insects 

 illustrates the fact that social habits tend to the pro- 

 duction of different kinds of individuals fitted to per- 

 form different kinds of work. The worker of our 

 common species Termcs flavipes (Fig. 46, hair line 

 represents natural size) has a light-colored body and 

 a brown head (^A) of medium size. The color of the 

 92 



