Nov. 17, 1923 
Termites of the Canal Zone 
295 
Two large, black, ovoidal nests of Nasutitermes cornigera were found 
on tree trunks at Las Sabanas, Panama City, on May 4, 1921, by Messrs. 
Zetek and Molino. Workers, nasuti, and young nymphs, but no winged 
forms, were in the nests. The white individuals (workers or nymphs?) 
exuded a white gummy fluid. First-form queens were found in six tree 
nests on “soursop” trees (Annona muricata ), at Juan Mina, Canal Zone, 
on February 18 to 19, 1921; these queens were enlarged, egg-laying, 
reproductive forms. 
There were 17 queens in one nest on a tree. The termite burrows are 
about one-half to 1 inch broad and about three-eighths to one-half 
inch thick. The nest was about 2 feet high and 1 foot in diameter. All 
termites collected on “soursop” trees were of this sort. 
The members of the genus Nasutitermes, and N. cornigera in particular, 
are known as “duck ants” by the West Indian negroes. These negroes 
and the natives of the region often open the carton nests and feed the 
inhabitants to chickens and ducks, which seem to relish them in spite of 
the characteristic pungent termite odor. So pronounced is this odor in 
all the species that have been collected in this region that it will remain 
on one’s hands several days in spite of numerous washings with soap 
and water or with ethyl alcohol. 
All of the typical “ nigger-head ” nests that have been examined on 
both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the Canal Zone and Panama have 
been those of this species. A nest about 18 inches wide was dissected 
at Las Sabanas on May 4, 1921, by Zetek and Molino. The nest was on a 
tree and was black in color, as is usual in the case of this termite. Sbldiers 
and workers were present, but no winged adults were in the nest at this 
time of the year. 
In one case at Bracho, Canal Zone, on July 10, 1918, 15 queens were 
obtained from a large ovoid nest 1 % feet long and 1 foot in diameter at 
its widest part. In this nest 2 queens were usually found in each “ queen 
chamber,” although Dudley and Beaumont record having taken 10 
queens from a “queen chamber” of what may have been this species. 
The queens were all rather small, measuring less than 30 mm. (PI. 3, C) 
and were all first-form or “true” queens, i. e., developed from dealated 
fertilized females. 
Most of the queens of this and other species of Nasutitprmes that have 
been obtained are of this type. In two other, though somewhat smaller 
nests, at the same place and on the same day, 3 and 4 queens were 
obtained, respectively. 
SWARMING 
The swarming of this species takes place from April till June, the 
earliest record having been that by Jennings on April 8, 1910, at Las 
Cascadas, Canal Zone. August Busck collected winged adults at Trini¬ 
dad River on May 5, 1911. On the Pacific side of the Canal Zone and 
Panama, the main swarming of N. cornigera took place between 3 p. m., 
and dusk on April 19, 1919, following a 12-hour rain; at the same time 
and place Coptotermes niger swarmed. The large, black, winged adults 
of these two termites are superficially very difficult to separate and were 
naturally confused in the field, being given the same numbers when 
found swarming together. 
On May 14, 1919, winged adults were observed at Gamboa at 5 p. in., 
45 minutes after the last specimens of this termite and Coptotermes niger 
had been noted swarming over the Chagres River. When the swarm 
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