1 897-] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 1 93 



Termes flavipes Kollar and its Association with Ants. 



By George B. King, Lawrence, Mass. 



According to the best authorities Termites have been placed 

 in the order Neuroptera, and are therefore widely separated from 

 that of the ants, which belong to the order Hymenoptera; never- 

 theless, by the ambition of quite a number of writers who would 

 have us believe that they were entomologists when, as a fact, 

 they have had but little knowledge of the insect creation have 

 put them down as ants. These men seem to have been the 

 means to educate those who have read their works to believe 

 that Termites were really ants of a white color, so much so 

 that it is quite hard for one in conversation with some men 

 who have read the accounts of Termites as being white ants, 

 to convince them of the contrary. I am also very sorry to 

 say that very often leading entomologists of to-day will persist 

 in following their example by calling them white ants. It is 

 most decidedly wrong and should not be done. The Termites 

 are in no way like an ant only as an insect, but have, however, 

 some of the social habits, living together in colonies similar to 

 ants and bees, having kings and queens, but up to this writing 

 there has never yet been found a true king and queen to exist in 

 the nest of Termes flavipes. Their colonies consist of supple- 

 mentary queens or egg-laying individuals provided with long 

 wing pads or sexually advanced female pupa with long wing pads 

 and their larva. The time of the year to find these forms is from 

 September until the ground becomes frozen, and again early in 

 Spring. After this time they are seldom met with, at least here 

 in Massachusetts. Sometimes we will find nests consisting wholly 

 of these forms, having but very few workers accompanying them. 

 The young larva and eggs of Termes flavipes are found at all 

 seasons of the year, that is, occasionally so found. 



Some writers have placed the exact month for the appearance 

 of the winged males in swarming, and is called the Swarming 

 Period or Marriage Flight, which they claim takes place in Spring. 

 From the observations I have made it would be impossible for 

 me to state any particular time for these winged forms to appear, 

 as I find them to exist at all seaspns of the year, but more plen- 

 tifully, however, in June and July. Neither can I state the exact 

 time of their laying of eggs as this is variable also. Some nests 

 may contain winged males, workers and soldiers; others workers 



