Carpenter Ants

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Camponotus: //ˌkæmpəˈnoʊtəs//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Summary

Carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) are large, polymorphic ants that inhabit various environments worldwide and are known for nesting in wood and causing structural damage due to their nesting habits. They have diverse foraging behaviors and can farm aphids for honeydew, contributing to their ecological impact.

Physical Characteristics

Workers polymorphic, ranging from 4-7 mm in small species, 7-13+ mm in large species; queens 9-20 mm, males 5-13 mm. All have antennal bases separated from clypeal border by a space at least equal to the maximum diameter of the scape. The mesosomal dorsal profile of most is a continuous curve from the pronotum through propodeum, except some subgenus Colobopsis which are easily recognized by the truncate and heavily punctate circumoral portion of the head of majors.

Identification Tips

Species are most easily identified from the major workers. Look for one upward protruding node at the waist attachment between thorax and abdomen (petiole).

Habitat

Forested areas, urban and suburban areas, deserts, grasslands and boreal forests. They often build nests in moist, decaying, or hollow wood, and have been known to construct extensive underground tunneling systems.

Distribution

Worldwide, except polar regions.

Diet

Omnivorous - feeds on honeydew, sap, living and dead insects, including insect parts. They also consume sugary liquids like honey and syrup.

Life Cycle

Species are active during the frost-free season in the north, all year in warm climates. They retreat into a deep diapause in winter in colder regions.

Reproduction

Fertilizes females establish nests under bark and seal themselves in. Initially care for their first broods on salivary secretions, later workers care for subsequent broods.

Ecosystem Role

Considered pests due to their nesting habits in wooden structures, but play a role in forest decomposition by excavating wood.

Economic Impact

Causes structural damage to buildings when nesting in wood, leading to potential economic loss.

Cultural Significance

In various parts of the world, including Australia and North America, carpenter ants and their larvae are consumed as food.

Evolution

Ant taxonomists consider the subgeneric classification of this group as poorly structured, with questions about the monophyly of the group and its relation to other genera like Polyrhachis.

Misconceptions

Commonly misidentified as termites; however, carpenter ants do not eat wood and create clean galleries in wood instead.

Tags

• Camponotus
• Carpenter Ants
• Hymenoptera
• Insecta
• Pests