Ant Taxonomy Genus- Camponotus

Ant Mania > Family > SubFamily > Genus (Camponotus)

About Genus Camponotus

The Camponotus

Distribution and description

Camponotus is the largest genus in the family Formicidae, with about 600 species. Carpenter ants play a significant role in many forest ecosystems. Various forest defoliators, including budworms (Choristoneura spp.) and tent caterpillars (Malacosoma spp.), are eaten by Carpenter ants, including dead and alive insects, honey produced by aphids, meats, and fats. Carpenter ants do not eat wood.

The habitat

In their natural habitat, Camponotus ants nest in trees, stumps, logs, and other sources of deadwood that are abundant in mature forests thanks to blowdown and insect damage. The species prefer damp wood but can inhabit both moist and dry areas. Carpenter ants are commonly found in wet wood around infrastructure like houses, decks, and buildings from water leaks around bathtubs, sealed windows/door frames, and roof leaks. They also like to reside in hollow areas, such as porch columns.

What To Look For

Camponotus ants may construct their nests primarily in wood-live trees with heart rot, existing cavities, and soft or rotting wood of higher moisture content. They can even set up homes in buildings, for instance, within voids such as curtain rods, hollow-core doors, or between the studs of walls and windows. Not only do they use trees and other plant materials as bridges to reach structures, but they are also scavengers who feed on sweets and some insects. To discover where they are nesting, keep an eye out for signs such as discarded wood shavings or sawdust near the nest, which you can deduce by tracking the trail back to it – this is particularly easy to do at night during summertime.

Carpenter Ant

Subfamilies Of Ants