8 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 76 



but remarkable post-adult growth, to accommodate an enormous 

 ovarian development. 



It must not be understood that there is only one type of reproduc- 

 tive form — the winged — among termites. Various different types 

 of reproductive forms are first evidenced among insects inclined to 

 be gregarious, as in the aphids. 



As one of the " adaptations " of reproduction in termites, due to 

 social life, the use of accessory sexual forms should be noted. Both 

 brachypterous and apterous sexual individuals occur, with a few 

 intermediates. These forms, inasmuch as they appear incapable of 

 producing the winged sexual forms, are gixtreme social specializations 

 with their reproductive functions more nearly purely colonial (i. c, 

 of the parent colony in contrast to the winged colonizing adults) in 

 purpose. Their inability to produce the winged sexual adult (capable 

 of wider dissemination) shows to excellent advantage their social 

 origin and accessory nature ; they are present in numbers and often 

 perform the duties of workers. 



Brachypterous reproductive sexual adults or those forms with ves- 

 tigial wings (wing pads of varying length) have been noted by 

 Snyder in the genus Reticulitermes of eastern United States to make 

 a short " pseudo-flight " at the same time that the winged colonizing 

 adults were making their annual flight. It is possible that this 

 appearance in the open with the winged forms is their normal 

 method of emigration to form new colonies, although it may be that 

 their chief method of dispersal is by subterranean galleries. How- 

 ever, they give every evidence of being positively phototropic; they 

 have more or less color in the body and in some of the facets of the 

 compound eye ; they also have ocelli and are probably able to perceive 

 light and direction by means of the reduced compound eyes and 

 ocelli but probably not images. Possibly this is the manifestation 

 of an inherited instinct to swarm ; running about or short jerky 

 jumps into the air is all that their wingless condition will permit; 

 at this time their sex organs are ready to function. 



Polygamy, or perhaps better promiscuity, also exists among the 

 wingless forms as a result of the colonial life of termites (a few 

 males occur among a large number of females), whereas the winged 

 sexual adults are normally monogamous — a less rapid method of 

 increase, especially in young colonies. Exceptions to this occur, as 

 when the dealated sexual male adult, upon the loss of his mate, 

 consorts with a harem of brachypterous females. Neither neoteny 

 nor psedogenesis exists among termites. 



