Nov. 17, 1923 
Termites of the Canal Zone 
289 
of the infested parts in a short time. It was later estimated that damage 
amounting to 60,000 pounds sterling to the buildings there had been done 
by this termite, 30,000 pounds being the amount of damage in Jamestown 
alone. 
The fact that these termites not only tunnel the woodwork of buildings 
but also attack and tunnel living plants in the field makes the species 
of great potential economic importance in the Canal Zone and Panama, 
especially since the agricultural development of the region is now taking 
place. 
Leucotermes tenuis is often closely associated with a species of Nasuti- 
termes in the woodwork of infested buildings in Panama or even as an 
apparent inquiline in the tunnels of species of Nasutitermes, one such 
case of this having been found. The instance was brought to the atten¬ 
tion of Mr. Dietz by Mr. Zetek, who collected a few soldiers of L. tenuis 
from tunnels of Nasutitermes cornigera on coffins infested by that species, 
which were stored at Ancon Hospital. 
Soldiers and workers of Leucotermes tenuis were sent to the Bureau of 
Entomology for identification along with parts of earthlike tunnels from 
a termite tunnel extending from the baseboard up into a plastered wall 
to a picture molding in the National Palace, Panama City, R. P., on 
January 1, 1914, by the Western Electric Co. of New York. This is the 
first instance brought to the writers' attention of the construction of 
earthlike shelter tubes by this termite. 
Leucotermes tenuis was found tunnelling a living eggplant at Frijoles, 
Canal Zone, on October 23, 1918. 
On May 13, 1919, a nest of this species was found beneath the bark of a 
rotting log on a vacant lot in Panama City and soldiers and workers as 
well as the wdnged adults, ready to swarm, were taken. There was 
nothing unusual about this nest, which seemed to be a rather small one 
consisting of not more than several thousand (?) individuals. No earth¬ 
like shelter tubes or secreted runways such as are built by members of the 
genus Nasutitermes were found, the galleries of Leucotermes tenuis being 
tunnelled through the wood. Several species of ants were also found 
inhabiting the same log in close proximity to the termites and apparently 
at peace with them or oblivious of their presence. When the log was 
broken open, however, the ants raided the termite nest, carrying off 
large numbers of all stages in spite of the resistance of the soldiers, well- 
armed but too few in numbers to protect their opened nest. The queen 
of the nest was not found. 
On April 28, 1921, J. Zetek and I. Molino collected soldiers of Leuco¬ 
termes tenuis in a rotted piece of log at an avocado plantation at Frijoles, 
Canal Zone. These were associated with the workers, soldiers, nymphs, 
and winged adults (which were ready to fly) of the termite Nasutitermes 
guayanae, var. columbicus. 
Messrs. Zetek and Molino found a soldier of this termite in the wood 
at the base of an avocado tree at Frijoles, Canal Zone, on June 16, 1921. 
In this case Leucotermes tenuis was associated with Coptotermes niger, 
workers and soldiers. The base of the tree was rotted and honeycombed. 
swarming 
The swarming of Leucotermes tenuis takes place during the early part 
of the rainy season. Winged adults were caught flying at Cabima on 
May 19, 1911, by August Busck. Winged adults were collected on May 
