TEKMITES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN REOION. 
Locality . — Papua (Mekeo District) : Waima (type locality) ; 
New Britain : Rabaul. 
Describerl from numerous soldiers and workers collected in 
native-made dwelling (G.P.H., July, 1922) from the rafters of which 
the insects had fallen during the night on to a mosquito-net below. 
When discovered next morning each of the soldiers had the mandibles 
firmly imbedded into the fabric forming the top of the net. The 
New Britain specimens were taken in the rafters of a native dwelling 
by Dr. G. M. Heydon. 
GJiaities.- This species is quite distinct from C. hyaloapex 
Hoi mgr. and from other species from the Australian region ; it is 
apparently easily distinguished from Oriental species. There is a 
possibility that it is C. elisas Desn., from the Huon Gulf District of 
German New Guinea, at present known only in the alate form. It 
is an exceedingly destructive species, ancl undoubtedly the one 
responsible for most of the damage to native dwellings. 
Types (soldier and worker) in National Museum of Victoria. 
COPTOTERMES SOLOMONENSIS, 11. Sp. 
Soldier. 
Very closely rela.ted to C. obiratus, n. sp., from which it is distin 
oTusheri by the following characters r Head dark m colour (mars 
Tmllow), a little less narrowed anteriorly, wider gula, IJ-jointed 
antennae, larger fontanel le (O' 170 wide) ; head, thorax, and abdomen 
noticeably less hairy. 
M easurements . — 
Total length 
Head, with mandibles, long . . 
,, to apex of labrum, long 
,, to anterior margin of fontanelle, long 
,, wide 
Gula, wide (at narrowest part) 
Antennae, long 
Pronotum, long 
,, wicle 
Tibia iii, long 
Abdomen, wide 
mm. 
5-40 
2-56 
1-99 
1-36 
1-19 
0- 285 
1- 50 
0- 45-0 -47 
0- 91 
D02 
1 - 20 
Worker. 
Closely allied to C. obiratus, n. sp., from which species it is 
differentiated by its darker head (ochraceous tawny) ; much larger 
ferruginous spot at end of clypeiis ; smaller Pronotum ; 15-]omted 
antennae (3rd joint nearly always larger than 4th) ; markedly less 
hairy head, thorax, and abdomen. 
I 19 ] 
