Carpenter Ants (Camponotus spp.)

Scientific Name: Camponotus spp.

Identification

• Like all ants, its antennae are elbowed
• Single-noded (i.e. has a single, small segment between the thorax and abdomen)
• The upper side of the thorax is smooth, almost round
• Color varies with species: Black carpenter ants (C. pennsylvanicus) are large, black ants and a common pest species
• Workers are usually polymorphic, i.e. they come in many sizes (3.5 to 13 mm)
• Frass (insect debris) is left behind as they excavate pathways in wood

Habitat and Behaviour

• Renowned for nesting in wood
• Often attacks moist, already-damaged wood, but can then move into sound wood
• Does not eat wood (cf. termites), only creates galleries in which to nest
• Eats dead and living insects (e.g. aphids), honeydew, sweets, and fats
• Known to forage large distances, e.g. a nest in a tree stump outside can harbour ants that eventually arrive indoors
• Can establish “satellite nests”—distinct but connected colonies

Lifecycle

• 15 to 20 eggs are initially laid by the queen; the adults which emerge forage to feed the next generation
• Time from egg to adult is about 60 days
• Worker ants can live as long as 7 years
• A queen can survive up to 25 years
• Nests can contain 10,000 to 50,00 ants