Festinatus-complex
Guides
Camponotus absquatulator
Camponotus absquatulator is a species of carpenter ant native to California, Nevada, and Baja California. It was formally separated from the Camponotus festinatus species complex in 2006 by myrmecologist Roy Snelling. As a member of the genus Camponotus, it is a large-bodied ant that excavates wood for nesting. The specific epithet "absquatulator" is derived from a humorous pseudo-Latin verb meaning "to abscond" or "to leave hurriedly," reflecting the species' elusive nature or perhaps the taxonomic confusion that preceded its formal description.
Camponotus festinatus
Festinatus-group Carpenter Ants
Camponotus festinatus is a carpenter ant species native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, with a strong association with palo verde trees. Queens are claustral foundresses, founding colonies without foraging for additional food. The species was historically considered a difficult-to-categorize complex due to morphological variation across its range, leading to taxonomic revisions that split off related species and revived others from synonymy.
Camponotus microps
Camponotus microps is a species of carpenter ant described by Roy Snelling in 2006. It was separated from the Camponotus festinatus species complex based on distinct morphological characteristics. The species is native to the southwestern United States and north-central Mexico.