THE SOLDIERLESS TERMITES OF AFRICA 125 



ALYSCOTERMES gen. n. 



(Alysko, Gr., 'flee from, shun, wander') 

 Type-species: Alyscotermes kilimandjaricus (Sjostedt) 



Imago. Medium sized to large, \V, 0-90-1-35. Fore tibia with three apical spurs, third only 

 slightly smaller than other two. Apical teeth of mandibles fairly short, La/Li, 0-49-0-66, 

 Ra/Ri, 0-67-0-99; subsidiary marginal tooth of left mandible distinctly separated from molar 

 prominence in surface view, complex ratio, La/Li. L m , 4-87-10-50. Right mandible with 

 points of apical and marginal teeth more or less in line, anterior edge of first marginal distinctly 

 longer than that of second. Meso- and metanota vary from moderately to distinctly wide at 

 constriction, M/W, 0-28-0-37, transverse dark sutures present, usually distinct; complex ratio 

 of mandible and notal measurements Lj/M.N, 0-84-1-85. 



Worker. Medium sized to very large, W, 0-81-1-11. Fore tibia slender, Ti/T Wl 5-28-7-36, 

 with three apical spurs, third usually well developed, sometimes reduced, never vestigial. 

 Apical teeth of mandibles short, La/Li, 0-50-0-67, Ra/Ri, 0-66-0-87; subsidiary marginal tooth 

 of left mandible separated from molar prominence by deep notch in surface view, complex 

 ratio, La/Li. Lm, 6-42-12-75. Right mandible with apical and marginal teeth in line, anterior 

 edges of marginal teeth subequal or first slightly longer, complex ratio, R A /Ri.R m . 10-13-15-40. 

 Mesenteric junction with proctodeum diagonal, to right of malpighian knot. Enteric valve 

 seating distinctly two-lobed, sometimes with very weakly developed third, connected to second 

 pouch of proctodeum by definite neck, dorsolateral in unopened abdomen. Internal cushions 

 of enteric valve unequally developed, positions 1 and 2 retracted, 3 and 4 slightly longer, 

 produced through valve opening; all cushions armed with spines, minute in mesal third, small 

 to pronounced in distal third, protruding through valve opening, particularly in positions 3 and 4. 



The characteristic enteric valve armature of the worker caste makes this genus 

 an easy one to recognize. A very few specimens of A . kilimandjaricus have been 

 found in which it was less well developed and could only be seen after mounting and 

 clearing, but in general the character can be seen at magnifications of around 100 x 

 unmounted, in alcohol. Only in Amalotermes is the enteric valve somewhat similarly 

 armed, but in this the small, brown-headed workers are distinctive, and the armature 

 of the valve is approximately radially symmetrical. All the other genera with armed 

 valves have their distinctive patterns which are illustrated. In the imago identi- 

 fication is more difficult. Of the genera with overlapping size-range and three 

 apical spurs on the fore tibia, Adynatotermes has differently proportioned mandibles, 

 as also do Acholotermes, Aganotermes, Asagarotermes and Amicotermes. The con- 

 fusion arises with some members of Astratotermes and Astalotermes of Groups II 

 and III. No satisfactory key character has been found to separate these from 

 Alyscotermes, However, the individual species can be separately distinguished. 

 In Astratotermes, A. aneristus, A. apocnetus, A. hilarus and A. mansuetus have the 

 anterior edge of the right second marginal at least as long as the first. A. pacatus 

 has large eyes and ocelli and A. prosenus longer apical teeth and conspicuous 

 fontanelle. In Astalotermes, the most difficult species is A. hapalus, which very 

 closely resembles Alyscotermes in the imago. The only differences are small ones 

 in the proportions of the mandibles when compared with specimens from nearby 

 localities, and the slightly more narrowly rounded head capsule and postclypeus. 

 A. aganus and A. mitis both have a distinctly depressed pale fontanelle, and again, 

 slightly different mandibles. A. ignavus and A. murcus both have very long head 



