TERMITES IN THE CANAL ZONE AND PANAMA. 
'At first it was believed that a dense jungle bordering the canal 
would be ample protection against a foe. Later, a United States 
military officer found that his men could go through a dense jungle 
rapidly and with precision and without making much noise. It was 
then decided to clear away the jungle and have pastures and planta- 
tions in its place. The jungle was therefore cut down, allowed to 
dry, and then burned over. This radically destroyed insect habitats 
and killed off immense numbers of insects. Those that escaped had 
to go elsewhere; and as the plantations were started, many species 
found these good habitats and became more destructive to crops and 
to structures of man. 
Much more collecting will have to be done before it is possible 
to do much generalizing on the distribution of termites v in the Re- 
public of Panama. The interior region should yield interesting 
termites. The termite mound nests described by Dudley and Beau- 
mount have never been refound. 
Table 1 gives the distribution of only those specimens of termites 
which were the basis for this bulletin. 
Table 1 
. — Geographical distribution of termites in the Canal Zone and Panama. 1 
Family and species. 
Locality. 
Atlantic 
slope. 
Pacific 
slope. 
Both 
slopes. 
Kalotermitidao: 
Kalotermes tabogae Snyder 
Taboga Island, Republic 
Panama. 
Ancon, Canal Zone 
of 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Crvptotermesthompsonae Snyder. . 
Rhinotermitidae: 
Leucotermes tenuis Hagen 
Ancon, Canal Zone 
Chitre, Republic of Panama. 
M irafi ores, Canal Zone 
Panama City, Republic of 
Panama. 
Venado Plantation, Canal Zone. 
Ancon, Canal Zone 
Coptotermes niger Snyder 
Cristobal, Canal Zone 
X 
X 
Frijoles, Canal Zone 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Panama City, Republic 
Panama. 
Pedro Miguel, Canal Zone.. 
of 
Summit, Canal Zone 
Termitidae: 
Nasutitermes cornigera Motschul- 
Ancon, Canal Zone 
sky. 
Chitre, Republic of Panama. 
Frijoles, Cana 1 Zone 
X 
Mirafl ores, Canal Zone 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
x 
Panama City, Republic of 
Panama. 
Taboga Island, Republic of 
Panama. 
Venado Plantation, Canal Zone. 
Ancon , Canal Zone 
Nasutitermes ephratae Holmgren.. 
Matias Hernandez, Republic 
Panama. 
Mirafl ores, Canal Zone 
of 
Nasutitermes columbicus Holm- 
Frijoles, Canal Zone 
X 
gren. 
Subulitermes zeteki Snyder 
Summit, Canal Zone 
X 
( 2 ) 
X 
X 
Anoplotermes gracilis Snyder 
Eutermes debilis Heer 
Alhajuela, Panama 2 (Upper 
Chagres River Basin). 
Taboga Island, Republic 
Panama. 
of 
This table gives only the distribution of the specimens of termites which were the basis for this bulletin. 
Central interior 
