Black-headed sugar ant

Black-headed sugar ant
	Black-headed sugar ant worker from Strangways, Victoria
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Genus:	Camponotus
Species:	C. nigriceps
Binomial name
	Camponotus nigriceps; (Smith, 1858)
Subspecies
	Camponotus nigriceps lividipes Emery, 1887;
	Occurrences reported to the Atlas of Living Australia as of April 2015
Synonyms
	Formica nigriceps Smith, 1858 ; Camponotus consobrinus perthianus Wheeler, W.M., 1933 ; Camponotus nigriceps perthiana McArthur, 1996 ;

The black-headed sugar ant (Camponotus nigriceps), also known as the brown sugar ant, is a species of Formicinae ant endemic to Australia. Found throughout most states, the species is a member of the genus Camponotus, a cosmopolitan genus of ants commonly known as carpenter ants. It was formally described and named by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858. These ants are characterised by their black head, reddish-brown mesosoma and black gaster, which can change in colour.

The species is polymorphic: workers and soldiers measure 6 to 12 millimetres (0.24 to 0.47 in) and males are 12 millimetres (0.47 in). The queens are the largest members of the colony, measuring 16 millimetres (0.63 in). Colonies dwell in dry regions, including open areas or in dry sclerophyll woodland, where they nest in soil, large mounds or under stones. Nuptial flight occurs in summer and nests can hold several thousand individuals. Considered a household pest, black-headed sugar ants feed on sweet foods and insects and tend to butterfly larvae. Numerous birds and fish prey on these ants.

^ Johnson, Norman F. (19 December 2007). "Camponotus nigriceps Smith". Hymenoptera Name Server version 1.5. Columbus, Ohio, USA: Ohio State University. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
^ McArthur, A.J.; Adams, M. (1996). "A morphological and molecular revision of the Camponotus nigriceps group (Hymenoptera : Formicidae) from Australia". Invertebrate Systematics. 10 (1): 1–46. doi:10.1071/IT9960001.

[HNameserver-1] Johnson, Norman F. (19 December 2007). "Camponotus nigriceps Smith". Hymenoptera Name Server version 1.5. Columbus, Ohio, USA: Ohio State University. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2015.

[McArthur1996-2] McArthur, A.J.; Adams, M. (1996). "A morphological and molecular revision of the Camponotus nigriceps group (Hymenoptera : Formicidae) from Australia". Invertebrate Systematics. 10 (1): 1–46. doi:10.1071/IT9960001.

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