12 BULLETIN" 333, 17. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



from April to October; in incipient colonies of flavipes in northern 

 Virginia the first eggs are laid by the middle of June or July, or 

 from the last of June to July or August in case of virginicus. 



In northern Virginia, in well-established colonies, the period of 

 maximum egg production of both species is from the middle of May 

 to early September ; that is, during the warm months. 



In infested buildings occupied by man termites are able to maintain 

 their activity during the entire year, and it is probable that eggs 

 are produced in every month of the year. 



The eggs are tended by the young parent adults in the royal cell 

 in incipient colonies, but in long-established colonies the eggs are 

 removed by the workers and deposited in clusters in the outlying 

 galleries of the colony where conditions are best suited for rapid 

 hatching. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



Termites are widely distributed over the world, but increase in 

 numbers as the Tropics are approached. There are many species in 

 North America. Our common species flavipes, according to Marlatt, 

 is very widespread over North America, " occurring from the Atlantic 

 to the Pacific and from Canada southward to the Gulf. It has been 

 found on the mountains of Colorado and Washington at a height of 

 over 7,000 feet." This termite has been introduced into Europe, being 

 also reported to occur in Japan. S. Hozawa states 1 that Leuco- 

 termes spretus Kolbe is the only representative of the genus Leuco- 

 termes in Japan, and that L. flavipes has not been found in Japan. 

 Another termite closely allied to flavipes, lucifugus, occurring in the 

 Mediterranean countries of Europe and also in western France and 

 Hungary, but being especially abundant throughout southeastern 

 Europe, according to E. A. Schwarz, originated in Mexico. This 

 insect has also been introduced into North America (western United 

 States). In the United States lucifugus is found in Texas, Arizona, 

 Kansas, Colorado, and southern California, and proably occurs else- 

 where. This species also occurs at high altitudes in Colorado, i. e., 

 about 6,000 feet. The native species virginicus is recorded from the 

 District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, but probably has a 

 wider distribution. 



In the prairie regions of Texas and Arizona a tube-forming ter- 

 mite 2 lives in the ground, in pasture tracts, feeding on the roots of 

 grass and other vegetation, often being found under and within dry 

 cow dung and under stones. A characteristic habit of this grass- 

 destroying species is to cover the stems and roots of vegetation with 



1 Jour, of the College of Science, Tokyo Imperial Univ., v. 35, art. 7, p. 82, Apr. 30, 

 1915, " Revision of the Japanese Termites." 



2 Hamitermes tuMformans Buckley. 



