Camponotus, the most species-rich ant genus, has a worldwide distribution. Its highest diversity and abundance is reached in tropical forests and savannah habitats at low latitudes. Colonies are often highly conspicuous due to the large workers and often very large colony sizes. Most species have a dimorphic worker caste with smaller minor and distinctly larger, big-headed major workers. Nests of Camponotus can be constructed in soil or underneath stones, in dead wood, or in live plants. Some species in tropical regions can construct delicate silken nests on the undersides of leaves. In contrast to most other ants, several Camponotus species are able to excavate cavities in solid wood (including wooden structures of houses) as nesting space, which has earned the genus the common name “carpenter ants.”
Systematics and Evolution
Currently there are more than 1500 described species of Camponotusin around 46 subgenera. However, a detailed taxonomic analysis of the status of many species...
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Rossi, N., Feldhaar, H. (2020). Carpenter Ants. In: Starr, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Social Insects. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90306-4_177-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90306-4_177-1
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