They do not necessarily pertain to other species of carpenter ants.įigure 3. The following sections on life cycle, habits, etc. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not quickly lose their wings after swarming. Winged males have tiny heads and their body is much smaller than winged females (Figure 3). They do not sting.Ĭarpenter ant swarmers (alates or winged reproductives) have transparent wings with prominent veins the paired forewings are much larger than the hind wings. In addition to delivering a painful bite, they also can inject formic acid into the wound. Workers have strong jaws and bite readily if they are handled. Be sure that you do not mistake Formica foragers for Camponotus foragers because management strategies for these types of ants are entirely different. These ants have a single node, but the thorax has a distinct indentation. Formica species (field ants) are common in Ohio. (Illustration courtesy of the National Pest Management Association)Ĭarpenter ants DO NOT create mounds in the soil such behavior is characteristic of Formica, a genus that also contains species of large black ants. Arrows point to the distinguishing characteristics of a carpenter ant: an evenly rounded, arched thorax one node between the thorax and abdomen and a fringe of hairs at the tip of the abdomen. (Photograph courtesy of Dave Shetlar, The Ohio State University, Entomology)įigure 2. Like other ants, carpenter ants have a constricted waist and elbowed antennae.Ĭarpenter ants may be identified based on several characteristics, including an evenly rounded, arched thorax, when viewed from the side one node between the thorax and abdomen and a fringe of hairs around the anal opening at the tip of the abdomen (Figure 2). The combination of the first two characteristics is useful to distinguish carpenter ants from other ant species commonly found in Ohio.įigure 1. Minor workers of the black carpenter ant generally are about ¼ inch long and major workers are approximately ½ inch. This ant is black, with very fine whitish or yellowish hairs on the abdomen. In Ohio, the black carpenter ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus, is the most common species (Figure 1). IdentificationĬarpenter ants may be black, red, brown, tan, yellow, or some combination thereof, depending on the species. These polymorphic workers are sometimes called minor, intermediate, and major workers (from smallest to largest, respectively). However, size alone is not a good diagnostic tool, because workers of several sizes occur in a single colony. Carpenter ants are among the largest ants occurring in the United States, and some species are about ½ inch long. Common NameĬarpenter ants belong to the genus Camponotus. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not consume wood. They use their strong jaws (mandibles) to remove quantities of wood as they expand the size of their nests. Carpenter ants are so-named because these social insects excavate galleries in wood to create nest sites.
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