Nov. 17, 1923 
Termites of the Canal Zone 
293 
On May 11, 1921, Messrs. Zetek and Molino opened up a nest of Ami- 
termes medius at Las Sabanas, Panama City. Winged adults as well as 
workers and soldiers of this species occurred in this nest and also workers 
and soldiers of Leucotermes convexinotatus. The small white forms 
(possibly workers or the young of L. convexinotatus ) were in cells lined 
with a whitish, granular substance. The winged forms w^ere abundant 
and flew about as soon as the nest was opened. These nests were very 
hard. 
Another nest of the same kind was found containing winged adults, 
workers, and soldiers of Amitermes medius. The ant ( Pseudomyrma sp.) 10 
in this material was found inside of the termite nest and quite certainly 
was not accidentally introduced there while the nest was being dug 
open. 
Still another nest with the same general data was found. The thick-set 
forms (workers of Amitermes medius) were very slow in gait. 
As has been mentioned before, Leucotermes tenuis or L. convexinotatus 
has been found living as a “social parasite” (?) in the outer parts of all 
the larger nests of Amitermes medius that have been opened. 
In a large nest on Taboga Island, Republic of Panama, on June 23, 
1919, two individuals of a new species of solpugid spider were found. 
These have been described as Ammotrecha iabogana by R. V. Chamberlin 
(j). Solpugids show a predilection for preying upon termites and there 
is no doubt that this is the significance of the association in this case. 
No covered, earthlike runways built by Amitermes medius have been 
discovered. Species of the genus Nasutitermes commonly construct 
such runw'ays or shelter sheds, on tree trunks, etc. In this respect 
A. medius apparently differs from the species of the genus Nasutitermes. 
Drummond (5) has advanced the theory that in parts of Africa the 
termites, especially the ground-inhabiting forms, take the place of 
earthworms in the “economy of nature.” In Panama, however, this 
theory does not hold, since earthworms are found there. 
At the present time Amitermes medius is not of economic importance, 
but it may become so if the lands on which it occurs are ever planted 
in crops. 
nasutitermes cornigera 
Nasutitermes cornigera is one of the commonest termites of the Canal 
Zone and adjoining parts of the Republic of Panama. The conspicuous 
“nigger-head” nests on fence posts, trees, and especially on the large 
dead trees on Gatun Lake, attract the attention of visitors to these 
regions and it is about these nests that Collins (4, p. 207) has made the 
following remarks under the heading of “Things not true”: 
The Sloth pointed out to the tourist as a black thing hanging from a tree is really 
an ants’ nest. The sloth does hang from a tree, but not alongside the railroad tracks 
or highways. 
A typical termitarium of this species consists of a main nest on the 
tree. From this numerous runways extend which traverse the trunks 
of trees, posts, or the sides of buildings, terminating in the ground. 
These carton tree nests are often called “nigger heads” because of their 
shape. These nests may be a considerable distance, as much as several 
hundred feet, away from the main nest, and are often connected with other 
carton nests by the characteristic runways. These “nigger-head” nests 
10 Determined by W. M. Mann, Bureau of Entomology, United States Department of Agriculture, who 
states that its presence was probably accidental. 
