THE SOLDIERLESS TERMITES OF AFRICA 75 



Astalotermes ignavus sp. n. 



(Text-figs no, in, 120, 121 & 138-143; PI. 1, fig. 5) 



Imago. Head capsule chestnut-brown, very dark above ocelli; fontanelle nearly as large as 

 ocellus, elongate oval, flat or slightly depressed, brown; medial spot oval, flat, distinctly smaller 

 than fontanelle, chestnut-brown; postclypeus brown, labrum yellow-brown, frontal marks 

 flat, shining, semi-circular, brown; antennae yellow-brown. Pronotum and mesonotum 

 brown, metanotum yellow-brown, transverse, dark sutures weakly present in meso- and meta- 

 nota; legs, femora pale yellow-brown, tibiae yellow, tarsi pale yellow. Abdominal tergites 

 brown, dorsal stigmata sepia-brown, sternites yellow-brown, paler in middle, ventral stigmata 

 brown, cerci, pale yellow-brown. 



Posterior margin of head capsule not quite evenly rounded, slightly undulating immediately 

 behind eyes; ocelli rather small, separated from compound eyes by slightly less than own 

 least diameter; postclypeus weakly inflated, Pcl/YV, 021, l'cl/R A . 2-48-2-67, posterior margin 

 obtusely angular, not rounded, median suture distinct. Apical teeth of mandibles short, 

 L A /Ei, 0-58-0-59, R A /Ri, 0-77-0-84, subsidiary marginal tooth of left mandible separated from 

 molar prominence by distinct notch in surface view, complex ratio La/Li. L m . 6-74-6-81 ; points 

 of apical and marginal tooth of right mandible in line, anterior edge of first marginal distinctly 

 longer than that of second. Pilosity of head capsule brown, very long emergent setae with 

 rough pelt of shorter setae beneath; longest setae reach well beyond outer curve of compound 

 eyes. Meso- and metanota somewhat wider at constriction, M/W, 0-31-0-32. Fore tibia with 

 third apical spur distinct. 



Measurements (two specimens from one locality) in millimetres. 



Head width across eyes (W) . 1-04-1-11 

 Ocellus (O w x Oi) . 008-009 x o-n-o-12 



Ocellus to eye (O-E) . . 007-008 



Postclypeus length (Pel) . . 0-22-0-23 



Antenna! article HI . . . 003-004 



Antennal article IV . . . 0-04-0-06 



Antenna! article V . . 003-006 



Left mandible, apical to first 



marginal (La) • . • 0-09 



Left mandible, first to third 



marginal (Lj) . . . 0-14-0-16 



Left mandible, third marginal to 



molar (L m ) .... 009 



Right mandible, apical to first 



marginal (R A ) ■ • • 0-08-0-09 



Right mandible, first to second 



marginal (R|) . . . o-n 



Right mandible, second marginal 



to molar (R m ) . . . 0-09 



Mesonotum width (M) . . 0-30-0-32 



Metanotum width (N) . . 0-28-0-34 



Worker. Head capsule and pilosity pale yellow-brown, the latter long and conspicuous. 

 Postclypeus moderately inflated, Pcl/VV, 0-26, Pcl/Ri, 2-49, apical teeth of mandibles short 

 La/Li, 0-62, Ra/Ri, 0-89; subsidiary marginal tooth of left mandible separated from molar 

 prominence by distinct notch in surface view, complex ratio La/Li. L m , 997; apical and marginal 

 teeth of right mandible approximately in line, anterior margin of first marginal slightly longer 

 than that of second, Ra/Ri-Riii, 14-20. Fore tibia scarcely inflated, Ti/T w , 5-21, third apical 

 spur vestigial or absent. Mesenteric junction with proctodeum diagonal, touching malpighian 

 knot on right; enteric valve seating lateral in unopened abdomen, weakly bilobed, connected 



