102 JOURNAL OF THE [October, 



THE TERMITES OF THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 



BY P H. DUDLEY, C. E. 

 {Head April ^tk, 1890.) 



In the previous paper on " Termites from the Isthmus of 

 Panama," it will be remembered I stated three genera had been 

 identified by Dr. Hagen, viz.: Tennes, Eiitei-tties and Calotermes ; 

 the first being represented by five (5) species, the second by 

 three (3) species and the third by only one species. With one 

 exception, the injury and destructive work to buildings, wood- 

 work, cars, locomotive cabs, and furniture, had been done by 

 species of the Terines and Eiiiermes. The exception was the 

 injured portions of a first-class- coach in daily service, attacked 

 by Calotermes marginipennis Latrielle, as identified by Dr. Hagen. 

 This species is found in Mexico, Central America, and Califor- 

 nia, though possibly not a native of that State. It is now known 

 that they are frequently transported from one country to an- 

 other, in trunk frames and wooden utensils. 



During the past year a number of species of Calotermes have 

 been found upon the Isthmus, and much more is now known of 

 their habits in that locality. With the exceptions of their great 

 destructiveness to sound wood-work, and rapid increase in num- 

 bers, they materially differ from either of the other two genera. 



The Calotermes on the Isthmus do not have a distinct class of 

 members, known as workers, and, in the large communities, only 

 a small percentage of soldiers have been found. 



No evidence of the Calotermes constructing large nests or gal- 

 leries on the exterior surfaces of wood-work, trees, or even build- 

 ings, has so far been found upon the Isthmus. " After entering a 

 piece of wood-work or furniture, through a small crevice of a 

 joint, or by boring an orifice from an adjacent piece of wood, 

 they eat out the interior, in small pockets, entering each by a 

 small orifice on the side, only sufficient to admit one insect at a 

 time. Mr. Beaumont thinks, there being no extensive galleries, 

 the small amount of guard-duty required, explains in a measure 

 why there are so few soldiers. They are the only blind mem- 

 bers in the community, and, being wingless, they do not swarm. 



Only small queens of the genus Calotermes have been ob- 

 tained upon the Isthmus, but there are great numbers of them 



