REPORT OF ACTIVITIES AS RESEARCH ASSOCIATE (COLLABORATOR) 
1983 
Margaret S. Collins 
MAJOR PROJECT INITIATED 
Working with Dr. David Nickle, USDA, a key to the soldiers of Central 
American termites is beijng prepared. Use of the critical point drying 
apparatus permits pinning termite soldiers without subsequent distortion. 
Morphological characters of taxonomic importance are more readily observable 
on such dried material than can be seen with specimens preserved in 85% alco- 
hol, as has been traditional. 
COLLECTING ACTIVITIES 
Termites have been collected in Panama, Guyana and on the island of Maya- 
guana in the Bahamas during the period I have been associated with the museum. 
ORGANIZATION OF THE COLLINS* COLLECTION OF TERMITES 
My collection of termites is being organized for ready availability as a 
source of comparative material and also duplicates that may be prepared for 
SEM study. Where only type specimens are available for particular species of 
termites in the collection built by the late Thomas Snyder, materials for SEM 
work must be obtained either as gifts or loans from the Emerson collection at 
the American Museum of Natural History, or collected from the field, identified, 
and compared with type specimens. Dr. William Nutting of the University of 
Arizona has also provided material. 
The Collins collection has not been completely catalogued (see sample 
pages ), and materials from Panama, Mexico, Belize, Mayaguana, and Costa Rica 
are still being identified. However, the specimens currently available for use 
include 242 vials containing approximately 2,737 specimens. Some types (Meta- 
types, Autotypes, and Topotypes) are included. These are currently housed in 
large museum or quart jars in Dr. Nickle 's office. They will be incorporated 
in the Snyder collection upon completion of the key to soldiers of the Central 
American termites. 
Future work (September and October, 1983, and the spring months of 1984) 
will be directed toward completion of the key and continuation of identification 
of specimens collected in Central and South America. 
Permit me to express appreciation for the opportunity to carry on this work 
in the congenial surroundings of the Museum of Natural History Entomology De- 
partment. 
Respectfully submitted, 
MaggarM: S. Collins, Director 
Emerson Field Research Station 
Kartabo, Guyana, South America 
