TERMITES (Termitidx), a family of insects in the order Corrodentia, or, ac cording to some systems, Pseudo-Neurop tera. They are often called "white ants," but ants are hymenopterous insects, and do not occur before Tertiary times, whereas the termites seem to have lived from Carboniferous ages onward. Yet, like the ants, the termites are social insects living in colonies and building "nests," or "hills." They are widely dis tributed in tropical countries but they also occur in the temperate parts of North and South America, and a few have established themselves in Europe. As their food consists for the most part less numerous caste of large-headed, strong-jawed soldiers. The workers col lect food, form burrows and tunnels, build "hills," and care for the males, fe males, eggs, and larvae. The males and females have wings, which the latter lose after the impregnation. Then, indeed, the female or queen undergoes a remark able change, becoming enormously dis tended with eggs and sometimes attaining a length of two to five inches or more. The queen is extremely prolific, having been known to lay 60 eggs in a minute, or about 80,000 eggs in a day. In the royal chamber a male is also kept. It is hardly necessary to say that the queen could not leave if she would. But to un derstand this imprisonment we must no tice that in spring the young winged males and females leave the nest in a swarm, after which pairing takes place; the survivors becoming the imprisoned "rulers" and parents of new colonies.
But Fritz Muller has shown that be sides the winged males and females there are (in at least many cases) wing less males and females which never leave the termitary in which they are born, being kept as complementary or reserve reproductive members, useful should not a winged royal pair be forthcoming. Sometimes this casualty occurs, and then the wingless pairs become parents. The complementary kings die before winter; their mates live on, widowed, but still maternal, till at least another summer.
The workers are diligent in tending the king and queen, in removing the laid eggs, and in feeding the larva'.
In general appearance and size a wing less termite is ant-like, but the winged forms are much larger and flatter, and their wings are quite different. The workers have large broad heads and strong jaws adapted for gnawing; the soldiers have still larger heads and lon ger jaws.
The most remarkable termitaries are those of Termes bellicosus, abundant on the W. coast of Africa. They are sugar loaf-like in shape, 10 to 20 feet in height, and, though built of cemented particles of earth, are strong enough to bear a man's weight. Internally, as the figure shows, there are several stories and many chambers, some for the workers, one for the king and queen, others for the eggs and young, others for storing supplies of compacted minced wood. But the ter mites do not all build such gigantic nests; for some build their homes on the branches of trees and apparently out of masticated woody material.
In Africa T. bellicosus and T. arborum are common species; in North America T. flavipes is very common. A few spices— T. lucifugus, T. flavicollis, and T. flavi pes—all probably introduced—occur in Europe. Besides Terrines there are other genera, such as Eutermes, Calotermes, and Anoplotermes.
The termines seem to be of use in de stroying decaying wood and in loosening the soil. They also afford food for ant eaters and other insectivorous mammals and for birds. But to dwellers in warm countries they are pests, destroying the timbers of houses and all sorts of wooden furniture. Effecting entrance from un derground, they hollow out the interior, leaving only a deceptive shell, which at length collapses. Even in Europe T. lucifugus has proved very destructive in some parts of France, notably in the navy yard of Rochefort. Yet to the nat uralist their social life, their reproduc tive relations, and their architectural in stincts are most interesting marvels de manding further research.