The Termites, or White Ants 
103 
The workers of T. flavipes (Fig. 134) are, when full grown, about J in. 
long, while the soldiers are a little larger. Both of these castes are whitish. 
But the winged males (Fig. 135a) and females which come from the nest 
and swarm in the air in late spring or early summer are chestnut-brown 
to blackish and measure about d in. in length. The four wings are of about 
equal size, and when the insect is in flight expand about in. When at 
rest they lie lengthwise on the back, projecting beyond the tip of the abdo¬ 
men. They have many veins and are pale brown in color. After flying 
some time and to some distance, the insects alight on the ground and shed 
their wings (Fig. 1356). This they are enabled to do because of a curious 
suture or line of weakness running across each wing near its base. All the 
wing beyond this suture falls off, leaving each now wingless male or female 
with four short wing-stumps. These swarming flights 
attract the birds. Hagen noted fifteen different species 
of birds following such a termite flight one May-day in 
Cambridge, Mass. “Besides the common robins, blue¬ 
birds, and sparrows,” he says, 
“were others not seen before 
near the house. The birds 
caught the Termes partly in 
flight, partly on the ground, 
and the robins were finally 
so gorged in appearance that 
their bills stood open! ” 
After the swarming flight 
the few uneaten males and 
Fig. 135a. 
Fig. 135&. 
females pair, and each pair Fig. 135a— T. flavipes, winged male. (After Mar- 
latt; natural size indicated by line.) 
Fig. 135&. — T. flavipes, complementary queen. 
(After Marlatt; natural size indicated by line.) 
probably founds a new colony. 
Perhaps some of the pairs 
are found by workers, and 
taken possession of as the royal couple for a new community. Exactly 
how the new communities of flavipes begin is not known; and this is 
an excellent opportunity for some amateur observer to distinguish himself! 
The egg-laying queen mother of a flavipes colony also has yet to be 
discovered. There exist in many species of termites individuals called com- 
plemental males and females. These are forms which, in case of the loss 
of the real king or queen., can develop into substitute royalties. Whether such 
forms exist in all flavipes colonies does not seem to be certainly known. 
It is obvious that there is still much to learn about the interesting life of 
our commonest and most wide-spread termite species. 
Of the other six species of our country, all of which are limited to the 
southern, southwestern, and Pacific states, three, representing all of the 
