Camponotus herculeanus (Formicidae)

the carpenter ants

Adults:

 

Black or red thin-waisted bodies, 7-15 mm in length. Winged forms possess two pairs of wings which are unequal in size and have reduced venation. Contrast these winged ants with the termites.
Camponotus herculeanus adult ants.  


Damage:

 

Wood is extensively excavated to provide nesting sites only, fiber is not used as a food source. Additional damage may occur on root collars of seedlings and saplings. The ants tend aphids and feed on their honeydew excretion.

 

  


Principal Hosts:

Wood is excavated to provide nesting sites, not for food.

Stumps, logs, dead standing trees of all species and wooden portions of buildings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Economic Importance:

In the Pacific Northwest, carpenter ant damage to buildings is more prevalent than that done by termites.

References and Links:

EAG: 538-539; FC: 473.