Hamiteemes wilsoni, nov. nomen. 



Hainitermes perplexus Hill {nee Banks) Bull. Ent. Research, xii., No. 4, 1922; 

 Proc. Linn! Soc. N.S.W., xlvi., 1921, p. 453. 



Dr. T. E. Snyder, Bureau of Entomology, Washington, has been kind enough 

 to point out to me that the name given to this species is preoccupied, having 

 been used by Banks (1920) for a species from Texas. I now propose to name it 

 after Mr. T. E. Wilson, to whom I am indebted for many examples of the termite 

 fauna of Victoria. 



CoPTOTERMES ACiNACiFORMis Froggatt. (Plate XXV., figs. 2, 3.) 



Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., xxii., 1897, p. 740 (Termes) ; Hill, op. cit., xl., 1915, 

 p. 92. 



I have examined a large number of nest series, many of which include 

 queens or alate images, or both, from North Queensland, Northern Territory, and 

 adjacent islands, and have compared them with co-type soldiers and imagos of 

 C. acinaciformis Frogg. (imago de-alated) and C. lacteus Frogg. Mr. Froggatt 

 bad previously identified Northern Territory specimens for me as C. acinaciformis 

 and I am now satisfied that this is the common, if not the only, species of this 

 genus found in the northern (coastal) region of the Territory. I have pre- 

 viously described the habits of this species in the Northern Territoi-y (Hill, 1915), 

 but I may add that later investigations show that neoteinic queens are produced 

 as substitutes for "first form," or true queens, if the latter be removed from 

 prosperous termitaria. 



Since the above paper was written I have been fortunate enough to secure 

 complete nest series of Coptotermes from Bathurst Island (N.T.) and Moa 

 Island (Torres Strait), which show clearly that the island species is quite dis- 

 tinct in the imago from any of the described mainland species. Whether or 

 not the Melville Island specimens, previously refen-ed to C. acinaciformis, are 

 conspecific with those from the islands mentioned, must remain in doubt until 

 imagos are available for study. A number of soldiers and workers from a house- 

 pile at Membare River (New Guinea) represent stiU another species, while a 

 similar set from Mitchell River (N.Q.) appears to differ from other N. Queens- 

 land specimens. From Townsville (N.Q.) I have complete series, including alate 

 imagos and queens, which I refer to C. acinaciformis Frogg. Other sets from 

 North Queensland (Malanda, Port Douglas, Palm Island and Magnetic Island) 

 appear to be referable to the same species, but in the absence of imagos, specific 

 determination cannot be made with confidence. C. michaelseni Silv. which has 

 been recorded by Mjoberg (1920) from Cedar Creek and Herberton (N.Q.) is 

 unknown to me from N. Australia, as is C. lacteus Frogg. recorded by Mjoberg 

 from Millaa Millaa, Laura, and Alice River (N.Q.). To the latter species I 

 provisionally refer soldiers and workers from Pikedale, S.Q. 



In the paper previously referred to, I have described the termitaria and 

 habits of this species, which appear to be very similar to those of C. lacteus 

 as described by Froggatt. The mounds are very characteristic in the genus, inas- 

 much as they consist of a clayey outer wall covering a compact mass of com- 

 minuted woody matter moulded into a curiously complicated form reminding one 

 of the familiar jig-saw puzzles (PI. xxv., figs. 2, 3). 



This species is undoubtedly the most destructive of all to standing timber, 

 and in many localities few Euealypts escape attack. Fortunately only the centre 



