INSECT ENEMIES OF WESTEKN FORESTS 



163 



tudes. A large number of species are found in the Southwest and 

 southern California, but only a few extend their range into the 

 Pacific Northwest, and northern Eocky Mountain region. 



Termites are dirty- white, soft-bodied insects that live in colonies 

 in the wood or in the ground and expose themselves to the light 

 only when in the mature winged adult form. Each colony is made 

 up of several specialized forms, such as workers, soldiers, king, and 

 queen or else secondary sexual forms (fig. 82). They look like soft, 

 fleshy ants but are distinguished from ants in having weakly chitin- 

 ized body parts, except the head; and the winged forms have four 

 wings of quite similar size and sha]:)e, while the true ants have 

 hind wings smaller than the forewings. 



Figure 82. — One of the largest termites, Zootermopsis angusticollis Hagen, and examples 

 of its work : A, Winged adult, X 1.5 ; B, second reproductive caste, X 15 ; C, worker, 

 X2; D, soldier, x 4 ; ^, tunnels in wood. (Edmonston.) 



The social life of these insects is very interesting and quite com- 

 plicated. Their excavations in wood are characteristically hollow, 

 completely enclosed, more or less longitudinal cavities, in which 

 some species (moist-w^ood and dry- wood forms) deposit peculiar, 

 small, impressed excrement pellets. The destructive subterranean 

 form deposits its feces in the form of liquid drops, which make 

 only characteristic spottings in their galleries. 



The control of termites consists in isolating w^ood material from 

 contact with the ground, or impregnating it with creosote or other 

 termite-repellent materials. Very detailed methods of control have 

 been devised, and it is recommended that the reader interested in 

 this specialized subject consult one of the bulletins or publications 

 devoted to the prevention of damage and control of these insects 

 {56^73,75), 



