Camponotus (genus)
| Literature database |
|---|
| 39 articles sorted by: |
| • year (recent ones first) |
| • research topics |
| • countries/regions |
Author(s): Bjørn Fritsche
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Camponotus Mayr, 1861 - (carpenter ants)
This genus of ants has a world-wide distribution and contains more than 1,000 species. Several are important pests of wooden structures. However, unlike termites they do not eat the wood but hollow it out for building their nest. Mostly, damp wood in forests is used, but wood kept outdoors like power poles may be also destroyed. In North America, the yearly damage to electric power poles is estimated at several million US$. An example of a destructive species in North America is the black carpenter ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus. The ants are rarely a problem in living trees or in wood kept indoors. Many Camponotus species build their nest in the soil.
Control methods involve the treatment of wood or the use of toxic baits. In North America, utility companies use an inspection/treatment program on a 10 year cycle. The ants tend aphids and feed on their honeydew or are predators. Some species are considered beneficial predators of insect pests. For those species see the page on Camponotus (predators).
The species are medium-sized ants, usually around 5-10 mm long. They have large eyes but no ocelli. The antennal bases are well separated from the margin of the clypeus.
Type soecies: Camponotus ligniperda
For a review see Shields et al. (2000).
Currently, the following pest species have been entered into the system:
