Carpenter ants (Camponotus semitestaceus)

Camponotus semitestaceus · Camponotus
Carpenter ants (Camponotus semitestaceus). Recorded flying in March. Dark gray to black head, dark gray mesosoma, dark gray to black gaster. Pale legs and translucent wings stand out against the dark gray-black body. Recorded near 25 of the 190 locations Dealate tracks.

When do carpenter ants fly?

Recorded flying in March.

Flight calendar

Jan
Feb
Mar
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Queen appearance

Dark gray to black head, dark gray mesosoma, dark gray to black gaster. Pale legs and translucent wings stand out against the dark gray-black body.
fast, erratic bursts, active at dusk
Founding care
Fully claustral: seal her in a test tube setup, somewhere dark and undisturbed. She raises the first brood on her own wing muscles and needs no food or opening until the first workers appear.
Needs a winter diapause: a cool, dark rest period each year.
Diet: omnivorous, insects, honeydew, nectar
Intermediate · Queen ~15-20 mm
Read more on AntWiki →
Care data from antkeeping.info (CC BY 4.0).

Habitat

Dead wood · also under bark · typical for this genus
Check logs, stumps and dead branches for landed queens. Look over dead trunks for queens exploring the bark.

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