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Ants of Zihuatanejo

FAMILY FORMICIDAE

Camponotus rectangularis
Camponotus rectangularis

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

-Insects (Class Insecta)

-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

-Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies (Order Hymenoptera)

-Narrow-waisted Wasps, Ants, and Bees (Suborder Apocrita)

-Ants, Bees, and Stinging Wasps (Infraorder Aculeata)

-Superfamily Formicoidea

-Ants (Family Formicidae)

-Formicine Ants (Subfamily Formicinae)

-Camponotin Ants (Tribe Camponotini)

-Carpenter Ants (Genus Camponotus)

-Carpenter Ant (Camponotus rectangularis)


The Camponotus rectangularis, commonly known as the Rectangular Carpenter Ant, is a species of carpenter ant that belongs to the genus Camponotus in the family Formicidae. They typically nest in decaying wood, such as dead trees or logs, as well as within wooden structures. These ants are omnivorous and forage for a variety of food sources, including nectar, honeydew (excreted by aphids), and other insects. They are known to establish foraging trails to efficiently locate food sources.



Diet

  • Omnivorous, feeding on honeydew from aphids, scale insects, and treehoppers, as well as nectar, plant sap, fruits, fungi, dead insects, and other arthropods.

  • Workers also prey on small insects and scavenge carrion to obtain protein for developing larvae.

  • Frequently visits flowers and extrafloral nectaries in search of sugary foods.

Range

  • Native to Mexico, Central America, and much of northern South America.

  • In Mexico, it occurs along both the Pacific and Gulf slopes, including Guerrero and the Zihuatanejo region.

  • Most common in tropical and subtropical lowland forests.

Habitat

  • Inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical rainforests, mangroves, secondary forests, woodland edges, plantations, orchards, and gardens.

  • Nests in dead branches, hollow twigs, rotting logs, beneath bark, tree cavities, and occasionally wooden structures.

  • Forages both in the tree canopy and on the ground, often along well-defined trails.

Size

  • Worker length: 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in)

  • Major worker: Up to 12 mm (0.5 in)

  • Queen length: 13–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in)

  • Colonies typically contain several hundred to several thousand workers.

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