PSEUDONEUROPTERA. 8l 



worker, can be found in a nest at the same time. At certain sea- 

 sons of the year the nymphs of the kings and queens are present" 

 and can be distinguished by their wing-pads of greater or less length! 

 Termes fldvipes is common throughout the Eastern United States; 

 and it is the only species which occurs in this region. The workers 

 when full grown measure about 4 mm. (0.16 in.) in length, and are 

 of the form shown in Fig. 74. The soldiers are somewhat larger ; 

 one is represented in Fig. 75. The winged males and females 

 are described above; they are often found in nests before they 

 have swarmed out, and swarms of them are frequently seen. But, 

 notwithstanding the abundance of nests of this species, the laying 

 queen has never been found. A specimen supposed to be a queen 

 was collected in Florida by Mr. Hubbard, and is in the Museum 

 of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge; but this is believed by 

 Dr. Hagen to be merely a complemental female. 



Termes fldvipes is not a mound-builder. It makes its nests in old 

 logs, in stumps, in the ground under stones or other objects, and in 

 buildings or other wooden structures. It usually infests decaying 

 wood in the fields or forests ; but I have known of several instances 

 where it has done serious injury to buildings ; and I have also found 

 it infesting living plants. This habit of infesting growing plants is 

 manifested chiefly in the Southern States; but it has been observed 

 also in New England. I found the white-ants common throughout 

 Florida, infesting orange-trees, guava-bushes, and sugar-cane. In 

 this State these insects are generally recognized as important pests. 

 They are there known as " wood-lice," a name whose use is to be 

 deprecated, as it tends to create confusion. 



When white-ants infest living plants, they attack that part which 

 is at or just below the surface of the ground. In the case of pampas- 

 grass the base of the stalk is hollowed ; with woody plants, as 

 orange-trees and guava-bushes, the bark of the base of the trunk is 

 eaten, and frequently the tree is completely girdled ; with sugar- 

 cane the most serious injury is the destruction of the seed cane. 



The white-ants may be destroyed by water heated sufficiently to 

 kill the insects without injury to the infested plants. In the case of 

 orange-trees much can be done to prevent the attacks of these in- 

 sects. My experience convinces me that it is those trees about the 

 crown of whose roots the soil has been heaped that are most liable 

 to become infested. It follows that care should be taken to remove 

 such soil immediately after each cultivation of the grove, leaving the 

 crown, of the roots exposed. It is also important to remove all old 



