Carpenter ant Temporal range: Eocene – Recent
| |
---|---|
Camponotus cf. eugeniae (minor worker) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Formicinae |
Tribe: | Camponotini |
Genus: | Camponotus Mayr, 1861 |
Type species | |
Formica ligniperda Latreille, 1802
| |
Diversity[1] | |
1,533 species | |
Synonyms[2] | |
|
Carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) are large ants (workers 7 to 13 mm or 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 in) indigenous to many forested parts of the world.[3]
They build nests inside wood, consisting of galleries chewed out with their mandibles or jaws, preferably in dead, damp wood. However, unlike termites, they do not consume wood,[4] but instead discard a material that resembles sawdust outside their nest. Sometimes, carpenter ants hollow out sections of trees. They also commonly infest wooden buildings and structures, causing a widespread problem: they are a major cause of structural damage. Nevertheless, their ability to excavate wood helps in forest decomposition. The genus includes over 1,000 species.[5] They also farm aphids. In their farming, the ants protect the aphids from predators (usually other insects) while they excrete a sugary fluid called honeydew, which the ants get by stroking the aphids with their antennae.