| Revision as of 15:43, 12 November 2007 editWynler (talk | contribs)582 edits Removed, all caps. Added reference request for section← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 05:03, 6 December 2024 edit undo2003 LN6 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers10,729 edits →Range: grammar | ||
| (147 intermediate revisions by 95 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{short description|Species of American ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus)}} | |||
| {{Taxobox | |||
| {{Speciesbox | |||
| | color = pink | |||
| | name = Black carpenter ant | | name = Black carpenter ant | ||
| | image = |
| image = Camponotus pennsylvanicus casent0103692 profile 1.jpg | ||
| ⚫ | | image_caption = ''Camponotus pennsylvanicus'' worker | ||
| | image_width = 250px | |||
| | status_system = | |||
| ⚫ | | image_caption = ''Camponotus pennsylvanicus'' |
||
| | status = |
| status = | ||
| ⚫ | | taxon = Camponotus pennsylvanicus | ||
| | regnum = ]ia | |||
| |parent=Camponotus (subgenus) | |||
| | phylum = ]a | |||
| ⚫ | | authority = (], 1773) | ||
| | classis = ]a | |||
| | ordo = ] | |||
| | familia = ] | |||
| | genus = '']'' | |||
| | species = '''''C. pennsylvanicus''''' | |||
| ⚫ | | |
||
| ⚫ | | |
||
| }} | }} | ||
| The '''black carpenter ant''' ('''''Camponotus pennsylvanicus''''') is a species of ]. It is the most common carpenter ant ] in the ]. | |||
| The '''black carpenter ant''' ('''''Camponotus pennsylvanicus''''')<ref>{{Cite web|title=Camponotus pennsylvanicus - AntCat|url=https://antcat.org/catalog/433412|access-date=2020-08-28|website=antcat.org}}</ref> is one of the largest and most common species of ] native to the central and eastern ] as well as eastern ].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=BUCZKOWSKI|first=GRZEGORZ|date=2010-11-15|title=Suburban sprawl: environmental features affect colony social and spatial structure in the black carpenter ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus|journal=Ecological Entomology|volume=36|issue=1|pages=62–71|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2311.2010.01245.x|issn=0307-6946}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sanders|first=C. J.|title=Seasonal and Daily Activity Patterns of Carpenter Ants (Camponotus SPP.) in Northwestern Ontario (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)|date=November 1972|journal=The Canadian Entomologist|volume=104|issue=11|pages=1681–1687|doi=10.4039/ent1041681-11|issn=0008-347X}}</ref> | |||
| ==Appearance== | |||
| ⚫ | ''C. pennsylvanicus'' can be distinguished from other carpenter ant species by the dull black color of the head and body, and by whitish or yellowish hairs on the ]. All |
||
| == |
==Description== | ||
| ] | |||
| Black carpenter ants are known to forage up to 100 yards in search of food. Workers are most active at night, traveling from their nest to a food source following trails. They do establish chemical (]) trails. The ants produce crackling sounds that can often be heard near a large nest. A large colony can have thousands of individuals. The black carpenter ant does not | |||
| ⚫ | ''C. pennsylvanicus'' can be distinguished from other carpenter ant species by the dull black color of the head and body, and by whitish or yellowish hairs on the ]. All ]s of this species (including the major and minor workers, ]s and males) are black or blackish. Black carpenter ants are ], workers can be in different sizes. The queens can reach a length of 19–21 mm and the largest workers (super majors) can achieve similar sizes of around 14–17 mm . They, along with several other ''Camponotus'' species, are among the largest species of ant in North America. As with all ants, the antennae are geniculate (elbowed). Workers usually have 12 antenna segments. ]s typically have yellowish wings.{{cn|date=December 2024}} | ||
| sting, but the larger workers can administer a sharp bite, which can become further irritated by | |||
| the injection of ], which they produce. Black carpenter ants are fiercly territorial with regard to other ants. | |||
| ==Behavior== | |||
| Black carpenter ants do not eat or digest wood, but they tunnel through wood, which can cause structural damage. | |||
| Black carpenter ants are known to forage up to 100 yd (91 m) <!-- (to one d.p.) --> in search of food, establishing chemical (]) trails as they forage. They locate food through their sense of smell.<ref name="springer">{{cite journal |last1=Helmy |first1=O. |last2=Jander |first2=R. |title=Topochemical learning in black carpenter ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) |journal=Insectes Sociaux |date=1 February 2003 |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=32–37 |doi=10.1007/s000400300005 |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s000400300005 |language=en |issn=1420-9098}}</ref> Nests can contain thousands of individuals, and such large nests may be noticed by the audible cracking sound the workers produce. The black carpenter ant cannot sting, but the larger workers can administer a sharp bite, which can become further irritated by the spraying of ] onto the wound. Workers tend aphids, with the smaller workers collecting honeydew and transferring it to larger workers that carry it back to the nest. In addition, foragers feed on dead insects and plant juices. Foraging typically occurs at night. <ref name="springer"/> | |||
| == |
==Range== | ||
| Black carpenter ants are ]. They can eat a great variety of both animal and plant foods, including plant juices, ]s, living or dead insects, other small invertebrates, common sweets such as ], ], ], ], and ], and most kinds of ], ], and ]. Unlike ], they cannot digest wood ]. | |||
| Black carpenter ants occur almost everywhere east of the ] in woodlands, forest edges, and suburban communities.<ref>{{cite web |title=Black Carpenter Ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus |url=https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Ants/Black-Carpenter-Ant |website=NWF The National Wildlife Federation |accessdate=6 September 2018}}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ==Control |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | ==Control measures== | ||
| Any wood in contact with the ground can be a source of entry, and water running toward the structure will also encourage these ants. Sloping the surrounding ground away from the structure will remedy this method of entry. Leaks inside the house from plumbing or appliances can also create the moist conditions that encourage these species. | |||
| In their natural environment, carpenter ants nest in dead trees and other dead wood. This enhances decay, which has ecological benefits. However, the ant achieves pest status when a colony invades the wood of a house or other structure, damaging its structural integrity.<ref></ref> | |||
| ⚫ | Since they favor moist wood as a habitat, any condition that promotes moisture should be eliminated to prevent infestation. The easiest of these is keeping ]s clear so water does not run down the side of the structure or gain entry. Moist wood is much easier to chew. The ants do not eat the wood, but remove it to create galleries for their activities. The galleries run parallel to the grain, as they are created in the softer, non-aligning portions of the timber. The galleries have a sandpaper-like feel, due to fecal remnants, but the mud tubes produced by ]s will not be present.{{cn|date=December 2024}} | ||
| One can spray the insects with common household insecticides to kill them, but this is unlikely to penetrate enough to reliably kill the colonies deep in the wood (or elsewhere!) | |||
| ==References== | |||
| This can be done by following the foraging workers, who are generally females. Winged males leave the nest to reproduce, so there is little point in following them. They go in search of sunlight, so they are often seen near doors and windows (as exit points.) If winged ants are seen, there is a colony not far behind, so do not ignore this important warning sign. Structural damage can be intense by the time external damage is visible, such as sawdust or bubbling paint. | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| Various kinds of pesticide measures are now used, including granular chemicals, biologicals and soil poisoning. The latter is the least environmentally sound. The granular chemicals exploit the insects fondness for sweets. The granules are carried back to the nest, where the more slow-acting will eventually be fed to the queen. {{fact}} | |||
| *{{commons category-inline|Camponotus pennsylvanicus|''Camponotus pennsylvanicus''}} | |||
| {{Taxonbar|from=Q3919739}} | |||
| <gallery> | |||
| Image:Black carpenter ant.jpg | |||
| Image:Camponotus pennsylvanicus.jpg | |||
| </gallery> | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 05:03, 6 December 2024
Species of American ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus)
| Black carpenter ant | |
|---|---|
| |
| Camponotus pennsylvanicus worker | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Genus: | Camponotus |
| Subgenus: | Camponotus |
| Species: | C. pennsylvanicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Camponotus pennsylvanicus (De Geer, 1773) | |
The black carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) is one of the largest and most common species of carpenter ant native to the central and eastern United States as well as eastern Canada.
Description
C. pennsylvanicus can be distinguished from other carpenter ant species by the dull black color of the head and body, and by whitish or yellowish hairs on the abdomen. All castes of this species (including the major and minor workers, queens and males) are black or blackish. Black carpenter ants are polymorphic, workers can be in different sizes. The queens can reach a length of 19–21 mm and the largest workers (super majors) can achieve similar sizes of around 14–17 mm . They, along with several other Camponotus species, are among the largest species of ant in North America. As with all ants, the antennae are geniculate (elbowed). Workers usually have 12 antenna segments. Alates typically have yellowish wings.
Behavior
Black carpenter ants are known to forage up to 100 yd (91 m) in search of food, establishing chemical (pheromone) trails as they forage. They locate food through their sense of smell. Nests can contain thousands of individuals, and such large nests may be noticed by the audible cracking sound the workers produce. The black carpenter ant cannot sting, but the larger workers can administer a sharp bite, which can become further irritated by the spraying of formic acid onto the wound. Workers tend aphids, with the smaller workers collecting honeydew and transferring it to larger workers that carry it back to the nest. In addition, foragers feed on dead insects and plant juices. Foraging typically occurs at night.
Range
Black carpenter ants occur almost everywhere east of the Rocky Mountains in woodlands, forest edges, and suburban communities.
Control measures
In their natural environment, carpenter ants nest in dead trees and other dead wood. This enhances decay, which has ecological benefits. However, the ant achieves pest status when a colony invades the wood of a house or other structure, damaging its structural integrity.
Since they favor moist wood as a habitat, any condition that promotes moisture should be eliminated to prevent infestation. The easiest of these is keeping gutters clear so water does not run down the side of the structure or gain entry. Moist wood is much easier to chew. The ants do not eat the wood, but remove it to create galleries for their activities. The galleries run parallel to the grain, as they are created in the softer, non-aligning portions of the timber. The galleries have a sandpaper-like feel, due to fecal remnants, but the mud tubes produced by termites will not be present.
References
- "Camponotus pennsylvanicus - AntCat". antcat.org. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- BUCZKOWSKI, GRZEGORZ (2010-11-15). "Suburban sprawl: environmental features affect colony social and spatial structure in the black carpenter ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus". Ecological Entomology. 36 (1): 62–71. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.2010.01245.x. ISSN 0307-6946.
- Sanders, C. J. (November 1972). "Seasonal and Daily Activity Patterns of Carpenter Ants (Camponotus SPP.) in Northwestern Ontario (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". The Canadian Entomologist. 104 (11): 1681–1687. doi:10.4039/ent1041681-11. ISSN 0008-347X.
- ^ Helmy, O.; Jander, R. (1 February 2003). "Topochemical learning in black carpenter ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus)". Insectes Sociaux. 50 (1): 32–37. doi:10.1007/s000400300005. ISSN 1420-9098.
- "Black Carpenter Ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus". NWF The National Wildlife Federation. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
- Carpenter Ant Management
External links
Media related to Camponotus pennsylvanicus at Wikimedia Commons
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Camponotus pennsylvanicus | |