CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS. 



67 



Fig. 41. 

 A soldier. 



Order Isoptera (I-sop'te-ra). 

 The Termites or White-ants. 



The members of this order are social insects. Each 

 species consists of several distinct castes^ of which only the 

 ^''kings'' and the ''queens'' are winged. These have 

 four long, narrow wings, which are somewhat leathery in 

 structure, and which are furnished with numerous but 

 more or less indistinct veins. The two pairs 

 of wings are similar iti form and structure, 

 and are laid fiat upon the back when not in 

 use. The mouth-parts are for^ned for bit- 

 ing. The metamorphosis is incomplete. 



The termites are commonly called 

 white-ants on account of their light color 

 and the fact that they live in large com- 

 munities like ants. They are, however, 

 not at all closely related to the true ants. 

 They can be distinguished from ants at 

 a glance by the absence of a slender waist 

 between the thorax and ab- 

 domen (Fig. 40). 



The termites that occur 

 in the United States are 

 usually found in old logs 

 and stumps, or in the 

 ground under stones. Dur- 

 ing the greater part of the 

 year only the workers (Fig. 



40) and the soldiers (Fig. 



41) are found in the nest. 

 But during early summer the winged 

 forms, the newly developed kings and a queen. 



Fig. 40. 

 A worker. 



