8 BULLETIN" 333, U. S. DEPABTMENT OF AGBICULTUBE. 



DURATION OF DEVELOPMENT AND LIFE. 



The workers, like the soldiers, complete their development in less 

 than a year. The development of the nymphs of the reproductive 

 forms (coming from larvae that will mature the sexual organs) 

 apparently requires two seasons. 



For the development of the queen of the normal type to the maxi- 

 mum size several years are required. 



There are no data on the length of life of individuals of the various 

 castes, but the king and queen probably continue to live together for 

 many years, under normal conditions, since they are of equal impor- • 

 tance to the community. 



THE SWARM. 



At a certain season of the year the colonizing, winged, sexed 

 individuals are impelled to migrate from the parent colonies in 

 decaying logs, stumps, woodwork in buildings, etc. In case of the 

 widely distributed species ftavipes, the colonizing forms emerge from 

 colonies in April or early in May in the Southern States or the last 

 of May or early June in the Northern States; the swarm usually 

 occurs in the morning or in the middle of the day, in case of large 

 colonies usually lasting about two hours. The southern species 

 virginicus swarms in early June, but sometimes as late as the first part 

 of August in northern Virginia ; while the species Tucifugus of Medi- 

 terranean Europe swarms from the middle of October to April in 

 Texas, Kansas, Colorado, and on the Pacific coast, usually after show- 

 ers. Often several swarms occur from the same colony, extending 

 over a period of four weeks. In colonies in infested buildings the 

 winged males and females usually emerge about one month before 

 the swarm occurs outdoors. 



THE FOUNDATION OF NEW COLONIES. 



After the adults have rapidly emerged from the parent colony, 

 from crevices in the infested wood, in a swarm of enormous numbers 

 and have flown a short distance in an irregular, " wobbly " manner, 

 they fall to the ground. The flight is usually not farther than from 

 75 to 100 feet, but the insects, usually flying low, are sometimes car- 

 ried farther by the wind. Both during and after the flight they are 

 promptly preyed upon and, destroyed by many insectivorous animals 

 which are attracted to the cloud of flying insects, resulting in an 

 enormous mortality. 



Among these enemies are many species of wild birds which are 

 attracted to swarms of termites in woodland and greedily capture the 

 flying insects in midair. 



