THE SOLDIERLESS TERMITES OF AFRICA 63 



(F. Silvestri), in Silvestri Coll., 1st. Ent. Agr. Portici, and AMNH. Ivory Coast: 

 Mt. Nimba, 26.xii.1968 (G. Josens), in his own collection and BMNH. 



The existing records provide no information on the biology of this species. 



Astalotermes comis sp. n. 



(Text-figs 61, 62, 71, 72 & 89-94) 



Imago. Head capsule sepia-brown, dark sepia-brown above ocelli, dark areas usually 

 extending as tapering streaks converging to fontanelle; fontanelle small, oval, flat, indistinct, 

 coloured as head; medial spot elongate oval, about as large as fontanelle, also coloured as head; 

 postclypeus brown, labrum pale brown; frontal marks weak flat crescents, brown; antennae, 

 pale brown. Pronotum brown, meso- and metanota pale brown, transverse dark suture weak 

 on meso-, distinct on metanotum; legs, femora and tibiae pale brown, tarsi yellow-white. Ab- 

 dominal tergites and lateral parts of sternites pale brown, middle of sternites yellow-white, 

 stigmata as sclerites; cerci yellow-white. 



Posterior margin of head capsule not quite evenly rounded, slightly undulating, ocelli medium- 

 sized, separated from compound eyes by from two-fifths to three-quarters own least diameter; 

 postclypeus moderately inflated, Pcl/W, o-27-o-3i, Pc1/Ra. 3' 2I -4 -i 5. posterior margin evenly 

 rounded, median suture distinct. Apical teeth of mandibles short, La/Li, 0-51-0-63, Ra/Ri. 

 0-65-0-82; subsidiary marginal tooth of left mandible just clear of molar prominence in surface 

 view, La/Li. L m , 8-66-10-91; point of right first marginal tooth slightly behind line from apical 

 to second marginal, and its anterior edge slightly shorter than that of broadly based second. 

 Pilosity of head capsule brown, dense, uneven, no pelt. Fore tibia with well developed third 

 apical spur. 



Measurements (nine specimens from five localities) in millimetres. 



Range .Mean ± S.D. 



Head width across eyes (W) 0-69-0-81 0-736 i 0-040 

 Ocellus (O w x Oi) . . 006-008 x 008-010 0064 i 0005 x 0085 i 0010 



Ocellus to eye (O-E) . 003-005 0039 ± 0-006 



Postclypeus length (Pel) . 0-19-0-25 0210 ± 0-002 



Antennal article III . . 002-0-03 0019 ± 0-003 



Antennal article IV . 002-0-04 0028 ± 0006 



Antennal article V . . 002-004 0027 ± 0005 



Left mandible, apical to 



first marginal (L A ) . 005-0-07 °"°53 rt 0-007 



Left mandible, first to third 



marginal (Li) . . 0-09-0-11 0-095 ± 0008 

 Left mandible, third mar- 

 ginal to molar (L m ) . 0-05-0-06 °'°57 ± 0-003 

 Right mandible, apical to 



first marginal (Ra) • 0-05-0-07 0057 ± 0-008 



Right mandible, first to 



second marginal (Ri) . 007-0-09 0078 ± 0-006 

 Right mandible, second 



marginal to molar (R m ) • 0-05-0-06 0052 ±0-004 



Mesonotum width (M) . 0-14-0-20 0-163 ± 0-020 



Metanotum width (N) . 0-14-0-21 0-162 ± 0-027 



Worker. Head capsule yellow-white, pilosity same colour, very sparse, fine, and short. 

 Postclypeus strongly inflated, Pcl/W, 0-32-0-35, Pcl/Rj, 3-04-3-95. Apical teeth of mandibles 

 fairly short, La/Li, 0-56-0-61, Ra/Ri, 0-69-0-80; subsidiary marginal tooth of left mandible 



