Camponotus nearcticus

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Camponotus nearcticus: /kæmpəˈnoʊtəs nɪˈɑːrktɪkəs/

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Summary

Camponotus nearcticus, commonly known as the smaller carpenter ant, is one of the more prevalent smaller carpenter ants in North America. It is known for its nesting behavior in dead wood and wood regions in buildings and is recognized as a household pest.

Physical Characteristics

Small, mostly black and shiny, with very few apparent hairs; some individuals have an orange/red mesosoma. Workers range from 3.5 to 7.5 mm in length, and queens range from 4 to 10 mm.

Identification Tips

Distinguished by few erect hairs on the gena and limited erect hairs on the clypeal disc; concolorous dark brown-black coloration.

Habitat

Prefers praired and woodlands, including deciduous forests, oak and pine forests. Nests can be found in dead twigs, branches, logs, tree bark, pine cones, and wooden regions in buildings, especially around rooftops.

Distribution

Widely distributed in the United States and Canada, found from North Dakota to Colorado and Florida; colonies can be found in Ontario.

Diet

Feeding on honeydew, extrafloral and gall nectar, sap fluxes, bird and reptile droppings, and occasional insect or spider prey.

Life Cycle

Sexuals are reared at the end of the growing season, overwinter with the parent colony, and fly in mid-spring of the following year; alates are reared in late summer and fall but do not fly until the following May.

Reproduction

Colonies typically have few hundred individuals, with reproductives visible in nests from March to October.

Economic Impact

Considered a household pest.

Evolution

Originally combined as a variety of Camponotus marginatus.

Similar Taxa

• Lasius niger

Tags

• Camponotus
• carpenter ant
• ants
• pests