# Florida Carpenter Ant

*Camponotus floridanus*

Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood; they merely excavate it to build clean, polished nesting galleries.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hymenoptera › Formicidae › Camponotus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Pine flatwoods, oak hammocks, rotten logs, and wooden structures.
- **Diet:** Honeydew from aphids, plant nectar, dead insects, and sugary substances.
- **Range:** Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina
- **Size:** Workers: 5 to 13 mm; Queens: up to 15 mm.
- **Lifespan:** Workers live 6 to 12 months; queens can live up to 10 to 15 years.
- **Active:** nocturnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide use, habitat fragmentation, and competition with invasive ant species like the red imported fire ant.
- **Safe to approach?:** Defensive. While they lack a stinger, they can deliver a painful bite with their powerful mandibles and spray formic acid into the wound, causing a burning sensation. Observe them without disturbing their trails or nests. If bitten, wash the area with soap and water, and apply a cold compress to relieve mild irritation.

## About

Camponotus floridanus , or Florida carpenter ant , is a species of ant in the genus Camponotus . First described as Formica floridana by Buckley in 1866, the species was moved to Camponotus by Mayr in 1886.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/71eed433-0a9f-4122-ba37-836b08cc3443
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/81709
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camponotus floridanus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/235612/medium.jpg (Bob Peterson, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.