buried in the sand. Farther to the southwest, in Kansas and 
Texas, it occurs in heavily sodded prairies and in hard-packed 
and often alkali soil. While it is fully capable of damaging build- 
ings, it is not very often injurious to them because of the thinly 
populated regions in which it occurs. Winged adults are almost 
entirely shiny black and about 10 mm. long. The tibiae are also 
blackened and the pronotum is broad. 
Reticulitermes virginicus Banks occurs in the southeastern and 
central western parts of the United States. It is often mistaken 
for R. flavipes, but is smaller. Winged adults are about 8 mm. 
long, and soldiers 4.5 to 5 mm. long. R. hageni Banks occupies 
about the same territory as R. virginicus. Winged adults are yel- 
lowish and about 8 mm. long. Soldiers are similar to those of R. 
virginicus except for shorter heads and paler color. These two 
species are reported to occur more commonly in dry, forested 
areas than R. flavipes. R. arenicola Groellnes occurs in the Chi- 
cago area and has been found in and under decaying pieces of 
wood in sandy places near sand dunes. Its habits are similar to 
those of Ff. tibialis which occurs in the same area. Winged adults 
have grayish wings and are about 9 to 10 mm. long. Soldiers 
range in length from 4.6 to 4.9 mm. 
The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus 
Shiraki, is an introduced species. Active colonies were first re- 
corded in North America in a shipyard warehouse in Houston, 
Texas, in 1965. Since then additional colonies have been discov- 
ered in Houston and Galveston, Texas; Charleston, South Caro- 
lina; and New Orleans and Lake Charles, Louisiana. The species 
was described from individuals collected in Formosa in 1909. 
Since then it has been reported from Ceylon, mainland China, 
Guam, Hawaii, Japan and South Africa. Incipient colonies gen- 
erally start in or near the soil where moisture and damp wood 
are available. Nests are normally built in soil near the base of tree 
stumps, utility poles, or other underground food sources, but may 
be found almost anywhere with favorable conditions. Colonies 
have been observed on boats, ships, barges, dredges, water tanks, 
piers, floating drydocks, in living and dead trees, and in wooden 
buildings. 
Workers are over-all grayish-white. The head is pale yellow, 
with a white mark in the center and a dark brownish spot on 
each side of the clypeus. The pronotum is nearly twice as broad 
as long and the legs are slender and hairy. Soldiers (fig. 7) have 
oval heads and slender bodies. The pronotum is short, elliptical, 
and notched at the middle of the frontal margin. A small, short 
tube-like process extends from the frontal gland and exudes a 
milky, acidulous secretion. The abdomen is slender, entirely pu- 
bescent, and has a 3-segmented caudal appendage. Males have 
large, hyaline wings, 10.6 mm. long, about three times as long as 
the abdomen, and about three times as long as broad. The head is 
hexagonal and brown; the frons is irregularly concave at the 
center where a globular projection occurs; the pronotum is semi- 
circular and as broad as the head; the legs are short, large, and 
vellowish-brown; and the abdomen is short, eliiptical and yel- 
lowish-brown. Females are similar to males but are slightly 
larger. Their bodies are marked with minute spots, and their 
wings are 12 to 14 mm. long. 
50 
