THE SOLDIERLESS TERMITES OF AFRICA 155 



The distinguishing features of this species are discussed under the generic headings. 

 It remains only to note that the abdomen of the worker caste appears to be 

 dehiscent in A . galenus. 



Holotype $ imago (queen) and paratype workers from type-colony only, Demo- 

 cratic Republic of Congo: Katanga, Keyberg, near Elizabethville, 21. v. 1948 

 (A. E. Emerson) in American Museum of Natural History. 



The single nest-series of this species, like that of Acholotermcs imbellis, was found 

 in an old mound, probably of Cubitermes, on a rocky hillside in grassy woodland. 



APAGOTERMES gen. n. 



(Apages, Gr., 'soft, weak') 

 Type-species : Apagotermes stolidus sp. n. 



Imago. Small-sized, W, 0-74. Fore tibia with three apical spurs, third nearly equal in size 

 to other two. Apical teeth of mandibles short, La/Li. 0-55, Ra/Ri, 0-67-0-71; subsidiary 

 marginal tooth of left mandible with proximal end just clear of molar prominence in surface 

 view, complex ratio, La/Li. L m , 9-09-9-50; points of apical and marginal teeth of right mandible 

 nearly in line, anterior edge of first marginal shorter than that of second, the latter curved. 

 Meso- and metanota narrow at constriction, M/YV, 0-21, transverse dark sutures present, weak 

 on mesonotum; complex ratio of mandible and notal measurements, Li/M.N, 4-36-4-70. 



Worker. Very small, W, 058. Fore tibia moderately swollen, Ti/T w , 3-84 with three apical 

 spurs, third about half other two. Apical teeth of mandibles short, La/Li, 0-52, R A /Ri, 0-67; 

 subsidiary marginal tooth of left mandible with proximal end level with edge of molar promin- 

 ence in surface view, complex ratio, La/I-i-Liii. 12-70; point of first marginal tooth of right 

 mandible distinctly behind line of apical to second marginal, anterior edge of first marginal 

 shorter than that of second, complex ratio, R A /Ri.R m , 1580. Mesenteric junction with 

 proctodeum very nearly transverse, to right of malpighian knot. Enteric valve-seating weakly 

 three-lobed, two outer lobes tending to be opposite, but no longer than third, connected to 

 second pouch of proctodeum by distinct but very short neck, dorsolateral in position in un- 

 opened abdomen; internal cushions of enteric valve all equally produced through valve opening; 

 all positions armed in posterior one-third of length with regularly arranged rows of elongated 

 spines, those below outermost row somewhat spatulate or ensiform, alternate cushions, i.e., 

 positions 1 and 3, with slightly fewer spines; rest of cushion surface with small or minute spines. 



The small size of Apagotermes distinguishes it from many other genera including 

 the previous genus, Amicotermes in which the worker enteric valve is superficially 

 similar. Other distinguishing features are given under that genus. The imago 

 of Astalotermes obstructus resembles Apagotermes but has a somewhat longer post- 

 clypeus, wider meso- and metanota, and ocelli closer to the eyes. The workers 

 are easily distinguished by the gut characters. Astalotermes benignus has a similar 

 size range, but the vestigial third tibial spur is diagnostic. In the smaller Astalo- 

 termes species, there seems to be less discrepancy in size between imago and worker 

 castes than there is in Apagotermes. Astalotermes comis is again about the same size 

 but the mandibular teeth are very differently proportioned and the postclypeus more 

 inflated. 



Apagotermes is one of the most isolated genera and species in the cluster analyses 

 of the similarity matrix. It is the last to join in the single linkage, and penultimate 



