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Termes Lacessitus. 



" Occasionally seen on the trunks of para rubber and Rambong but 

 not doing any damage. Nest of papery material, usually in trees and 

 shrubs in secondary jungle. A species of no economic importance." 



Termes Umbrinus. 



" This species nests in the stumps of dead trees and is often seen 

 on the march in enormous numbers, frequently travelling a distance 

 of two or three hundred yards in columns a couple of inches wide. 

 It apparently feeds on dead leaves, twigs, etc., and is occasionally seen 

 in houses situated near the jungle but does not do any harm." 



Means of Distinguishing Termes Gestroi. 



A somewhat crude means of distinguishing T. gestroi from many 

 of the other species of Termites is to press the abdomen of the 

 soldier slightly or irritate its body in some way ; a white milky fluid 

 will then be exuded from the front and top part of the head, at the 

 same time it will attack its aggressor most voraciously with its madi- 

 bles. Although T. gestroi is by no means the only species which 

 exudes milky fluid from the anterior part of the head the discharge of 

 this combined with the close association this species has with rubber 

 trees will be sufficient to identify it- 

 It is of importance that all planters should be able to recognise 

 the soldier. To the unaided eye the chief difference between the 

 soldier and the other castes of this species is in the head and its 

 appendages i.e. by the latter possessing a pair of elongate slender 

 mandibles. In T. gestroi the colour of the abdomen varies accord- 

 ing to the nature of the food it has been devouring, but generally it is 

 of a white or slightly creamy colour, sometimes grey ; the head is red 

 brown. 



It is also much more active and certainly more daring than the 

 majority of species. 



General Observations on Termes Gestroi. 



The damage caused by T. gestroi to para rubber trees of 

 practically all ages (9 months and upwards) has deservedly earned for 

 this pest the reputation of being the planter's most serious enemy here. 

 Its insidious method of attack, cryptic habits, prolificness, and rapid 

 completion of its destructive work render it one of the most difficult 

 pests to deal with. Towards the latter end of this year (1907) I dis- 

 covered at Kuala Selangor for the first time the Queen of this species. 

 It was contained within a small royal cell, and surrounded by many 

 thousands of eggs, young, soldiers, and workers. Along the edge of the 

 parit (open drain) where the Queen was found some 15-20 rubber 

 trees about 8-9 years old had been destroyed by gestroi. All of these 

 trees were carefully examined, and in each case it was found that the 

 burrows leading away from them terminated at the main nest, the 

 individuals of which were thus responsible for the destruction of at 

 least 15 large trees. 



It will be fully realized how useless it would be to treat separately 

 these trees, merely by digging around their bases and so exposing the 



