222 W. A. SANDS 



ADERITOTERMES gen. n. 



(Aderitos, Gr., 'without strife') 

 Type-species: Aderitotermes fossor sp. n. 



Imago. Large, W, 1-04-1 31. Fore tibia with three apical spurs, third well developed, 

 about two-thirds length of other two. Apical teeth of mandibles fairly short, La/Li, 0-54-0-68, 

 Ra/Ri, 0-73-1 06; subsidiary marginal tooth of left mandibles separated from molar prominence 

 by a distinct notch in surface view, La/Li. Lj,. Right mandible with points of apical and mar- 

 ginal teeth approximately in line, anterior edges of first and second marginals equal in length. 

 Fontanelle circular to short oval, distinct, conspicuously paler than head capsule. Pilosity 

 of head a short, fine, even silvery pelt, with emergent setae. Meso- and metanota fairly wide 

 at constrictions, M/W, 0-28-0-34, transverse dark sutures present; complex ratio of mandible 

 and notal measurements, Li/M.N, 1-26-2-05. 



Worker. Large, W, 0-90-0-99. Fore tibia weakly to scarcely swollen, Ti/T w , 4-21-5-31, 

 with three apical spurs, third about half length of other two. Apical teeth of mandibles fairly 

 short to moderately long, La/L], 0-60-0-79, Ra/Ri, 0-78-1-00; subsidiary marginal tooth of 

 left mandible separated from molar prominence by a distinct notch in surface view, complex 

 ratio, La/Li. L m , 11-69-14-10. Right mandible with point of first marginal tooth slightly 

 behind line of apical to second marginal, anterior edges of marginal teeth equal in length, 

 complex ratio, Ra/Ri-Rmi. 13-80-17-45. Mesenteric junction with proctodeum overlapping, 

 elongated to form a distinct mixed segment, four to five times as long as width of mesenteron 

 at insertion of malpighian tubules, proximal end of proctodeum well to left of malpighian knot. 

 Enteric valve seating with three prominent equal lobes, regularly spaced, connected to second 

 pouch of proctodeum by distinct to very elongated neck, fully dorsal in position in unopened 

 abdomen; internal cushions of enteric valve retracted, or produced distally through valve 

 opening, not sclerotized, scales on cushion surfaces, and membranous wall of valve between 

 and beyond cushions fringed with minute to prominent spicules. 



This genus is fairly readily recognized in the imago by the conspicuous fontanelle, 

 combined with the very short, fine, even silvery pilosity of the head capsule and the 

 large size. The only sympatric species with superficial similarity is Astratotermes 

 prosenns, and this is larger with uneven pilosity. In the worker caste, the elon- 

 gated mixed segment distinguishes Aderitotermes from most other genera. Of the 

 two genera with this feature similarly developed, Adaiphrotermes has a swollen 

 end to the mesenteron, and only two apical spurs on the fore tibia. Anenteotermes 

 is smaller, and the enteric valve seating and armature is different. 



Aderitotermes is one of the more isolated genera in the analyses of the similarity 

 matrix. In both single linkage clustering and median sorting it lies adjacent to 

 Amicotermes, which is reflected on the first five of the principal co-ordinates other 

 than the second (Text-fig. 609). The similarity of the enteric valve armature 

 between those genera may result from a genuine relationship. Amicotermes has no 

 mixed segment and longer mandibular apical teeth, being more primitive in the 

 former and more specialized in the latter character. 



The two species of Aderitotermes described here resemble each other very closely 

 in every feature except the enteric valve armature. The latter character is so widely 

 different as to appear unrelated, had not a third species been discovered that exactly 

 bridges the gap. Unfortunately the imago of the third species is unknown, and so 

 it remains undescribed at present. However, its enteric valve is illustrated in PI. 9, 

 fig. 5, because of the phylogenetic interest of its intermediate structure. The 



