THE SOLDIERLESS TERMITES OF AFRICA 49 



principal co-ordinates, plotted in Text-fig. 12. Its nearest neighbour in these 

 analyses is another isolated species, Apagotermes stolidus sp. n. From this it 

 differs in the imago by the proportions and positions of the mandibular teeth, the 

 large and conspicuous fontanelle, the wider meso- and metanota, and the vestigial 

 third spur of the fore tibia. In the worker, the mandible and fore tibia spur charac- 

 ters also apply; moreover, Amalotermes has a longer mesenteric overlap with the 

 proctodeum, and very different enteric valve armature from Apagotermes. The 

 same characters also serve to distinguish Amalotermes from similarly sized members 

 of the other genera such as Astalotermes and Anenteotermes. 



The relationships of Amalotermes to other genera are not easy to assess. The 

 mandible form and slender fore tibia of the worker are features common to the more 

 primitive members of the group and the brown head of the worker caste recalls 

 genera such as Speciditermes. Its liking for rotting wood also suggests a lack of 

 specialization in habits. However, the reduced alate pilosity and vestigial third 

 tibial spur are derivative characters as are, in the worker, the already more elongated 

 gut and well developed enteric valve armature. It most probably represents a 

 persistent early offshoot from the main group, and has developed its own specialized 

 characters; some of these are convergently resembled by other genera that perhaps 

 diverged from the main stem rather later on. 



Amalotermes phaeocephalus sp. n. 



(Text-figs 43-53; PI. 1, fig. 2) 



Imago. Head capsule very glossy dark sepia-brown, sometimes darker above ocelli; fontan- 

 elle larger than ocellus, oval, flat or slightly depressed, pale brown; medial spot minute, oval, 

 slightly raised on small bump, sepia-brown; postclypeus sepia-brown, labrum brown; frontal 

 marks almost obsolete, flat, sepia-brown; antennae, sepia-brown. Pronotum sepia-brown, 

 meso- and metanota brown; legs entirely yellow-white. Abdominal tergites sepia-brown, 

 sternites laterally brown, pale yellow in middle, abdominal stigmata almost absent, coloured 

 as sclerites; cerci very pale brown. 



Posterior margin of head capsule evenly rounded, ocelli rather small, separated from compound 

 eyes by three-quarters own least diameter or more; postclypeus not strongly inflated, Pcl/W, 

 0-21-0-24, posterior margin rounded, more arched in middle, median suture absent or very 

 weakly developed. Pilosity of head capsule rather long, somewhat sparse and fine, brown, 

 forming a very distinct long pelt with regularly placed paired emergent setae. 



Measurements (three specimens from three localities) in millimetres. 



Head width across eyes (W) 



Ocellus (O w x Oi) . 



Ocellus to eye (O-E) 



Postclypeus length (Pel) 



Antennal article III . 



Antennal article IV 



Antennal article V . . . . 



Left mandible, apical to first marginal 



(La) 



Left mandible, first to third marginal 



(Li) 



Range 



Mean 



0-81-0-90 



0-848 



0-06-0-07 x 0-09-0-10 



0-063 x 0091 



005-006 



0056 



0-18-0-21 



0190 



004-006 



0048 



— ■ 



0049 



— ■ 



0050 



0-05-0-06 



0053 



012-013 



0-I2I 



