1934 ] 
Entomological Investigations in Panama 
167 
Puerto Armuelles-David Railway. Mr. W. H. W. Komp, of 
the U. S. Public Health Service, accompanied Dr. Clark on 
his 1930 trip and Dr. Theodore Trimble, of the Rochester 
University, Rochester, N. Y., was his companion in 1931. 
On both these occasions a number of ectoparasites were ob- 
tained from the various animals examined as well as of the 
blood-sucking diptera most commonly encountered. 
Since the specimens obtained during the three expedi- 
tions to Chiriqui represent many of the common species of 
insects and other arthropods affecting man and animals in 
that region, they are listed with annotations in the following 
pages. 
Camp Pital was located in the humid lower tropical zone 
of the fairly level coastal plain of the south-western part of 
Chiriqui. It was very close to the Costa Rican border, prob- 
ably not more than eight miles by direct line from the 
Pacific coast. Here a square area of about twenty acres had 
been cleared for banana culture. All trees had been felled, 
larger ones being left to rot and banana sets had been 
planted in the open spaces between the logs. The area sur- 
rounding this clearing was heavily forested, with trees of 
large size and an undergrowth of luxuriant vegetation. The 
pita plant, Ananas magdalense, was abundant in this local- 
ity and it was from this plant that the name of the camp 
was derived. The undergrowth was not of sufficient density 
to necessitate the use of a machete when walking in the 
forest, and since there were several narrow trails leading 
in different directions, a considerable freedom of movement 
was possible in the forest nearby. 
The animal and bird life in this region was abundant and 
varied and the easy passage in the forest made good hunt- 
ing conditions. It was also a nearly ideal location for col- 
lecting blood-sucking diptera, since the abrupt change from 
the deep shade of the forest to the open sunlight of the 
clearing provided conditions favorable for both shade and 
sun loving species. 
Two native hunters and one of the members of our party 
were usually out after specimens of animals and birds dur- 
ing the early part of each day. A number of muslin bags 
