Nov. 17,1923 
Termites of the Canal Zone 
285 
At Quarry Heights, Canal Zone, on April 16, 1919, a species of 
Cryptotermes was found tunnelling a piano which had been brought 
to Panama by the French when they attempted to dig a canal across 
the Isthmus. This instrument was made of ebony (?) and one side of 
it was so badly damaged that it was a mere shell and in many places 
could have been easily broken through with a slight pressure of the 
fingers. It was possible to collect only pellets of excrement of this 
termite. 
FAMILY TERMITIDAE 
r 
Fifteen species, or the great majority of the recorded termites of 
Panama, belong to the family Termitidae. These are Coptotermes 
niger , Cornitermes acignathus , Armitermes armigera t Mirotermes hispan- 
iolae, Leucotermes tenuis , L. convexinotatus, Eutermes debilis , E. exiguus, 
Amitermes beaumonti , A. medius , Nasutitermes cornigera, N. ephratae t 
N. guayanae var. columbicus , N. pilifrons , and Anoplotermes gracilis . 
Some of these termites, namely, C. acignathus , A . armigera, M. hispaniolae, 
and N. pilifrons, were not collected during 1918 and 1919 and little seems 
to be knowm about their habits, habitats, and potential economic 
importance. 
Considerable information regarding the other species, with the excep¬ 
tion of Amitermes beaumonti , has been obtained and is of interest either 
because of the actual or potential economic importance of the particular 
species or because of its habits, nests, or abundance. 
Much of the damage to the woodwork of furniture, buildings, and other 
structures, such as railroad rolling stock, which has occurred at Panama 
has been caused by species in the family Termitidae. However, in the 
family Kalotermitidae species of Cryptotermes are undoubtedly injurious. 
COPTOTERMES NIGER 
Members of the genus Coptotermes are regarded as among the most 
destructive termites to timber. In Hawaii, the species C. intrudens 
Oshima (17) was thought by Dr. R. C. L. Perkins to have been intro¬ 
duced from the Philippines in army cots stored on one of the docks at 
Honolulu for a period some years ago 8 and does an enormous annual 
damage to buildings ( 18) . C. marabitanus Hagen is a common species in 
South America. In Australia, C. lacteus Froggatt (u, 12, 13 , 14) is the 
commonest destructive termite in the vicinity of Sydney, New South 
Wales, and is especially injurious to the woodwork of buildings. 
Although Coptotermes niger was collected by both Dudley and Beau¬ 
mont, there are no published records regarding its economic status in 
Panama. Mr. Dietz collected this species at both Ancon and Gamboa, 
Canal Zone, but in neither instance was it considered of economic impor¬ 
tance. Nevertheless, it is a species that will bear close watching in the 
future. 
At Gold Hill, in 1916, workers of this termite perforated the lead 
sheathing of an underground cable, as also the tarred parcelling (PI. 6, B). 
Specimens of workers and soldiers were received from the Central and 
South American Telegraph Co. of New York. 
At Ancon on April 15, 1919, workers were found tunnelling a live 
“copaiferous” tree. The greater part of the nest was through the 
8 Statement in letter of D. T. Pullaway to T. E. Snyder, dated December 29, 1919. 
