UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
:nt bulletin 
Washington, D. C. 
June 27, 1924 
DAMAGE BY TERMITES IN THE CANAL ZONE AND PANAMA AND 
HOW TO PREVENT IT. 
By Thomas E. Snyder, Entomologist, Forest Insect Investigations, and James Zetek, 
Specialist in Tropical Entomology , Bureau of Entomology. 1 
CONTENTS, 
Page. 
Introduction 1 
Geographical distribution 2 
Relative damage by the families of 
termites 4 
Kalotermes tabogae Snyder 5 
Crpptotermes thompsonae Snyder 6 
Leucotermes tenuis Ha gen 6 
Injury to living crops 8 
Coptotermes niger Snyder 8 
Injury to lead-sheathed cables 
in the locks of the Panama 
Canal 9 
Damage to living trees 12 
Swarming 13 
A possible mechanical carrier of 
the nematode Aplielenehus co- 
cophUus which causes " red- 
ring " disease of coconut palm 
trees 13 
Composition of shelter tubes 16 
Page. 
Xasutitermes cornigera Motschulskv_ 16 
Swarming 1_ IT 
Xasutitermes ephratae Holmgren 18 
Injury to electrical insulation__ 18 
Possible mechanical carriage of 
nematode ir> 
Composition of shelter tubes 29 
Nasutitermes eolitmbieus Holmgren _ 20 
>SubuUt>ennes zeteM Snyder 21 
Eutermes debilis Heer 21 
AnopJotermes gracilis Snyder 22 
Termite-like shelter tubes of an ant_ 22 
Control 22 
Literature cited 25 
INTRODUCTION. 
In a preliminary paper Dietz and Snyder (£) 2 have given an his- 
torical survey of the status of the termites of Panama and have 
written of their habits and ravages to both living vegetation and the 
woodwork of buildings as well as to other works of man. This bulle- 
tin gives additional original data on the habits of the termites of 
this region, the damage they do, and their control. In the case of 
some of the species recently described by Snyder (8, 9) there has 
been no knowledge of their habits — and they are very injurious — 
since they had been confused with other known termites. Special 
attention has been given to damage by termites to lead-sheathed 
cables in conduits in locks of the Panama Canal and at other locali- 
ties in Panama, as well as damage to telephone and lighting equip* 
1 The field note? were made by Mr. Zetek and the specimens were collected by him and 
by Ignacio Molino. All the determinations weir made by Doctor Snyder, who has also 
helped to interpret the field notes and has prepared the manuscript. 
- Reference is made by number (italic) to "Literature cited," p. 25. 
71724° — 24- 
