Hawaiian Carpenter Ants

Camponotus variegatus Probably native to Southeast Asia as Hawaii has NO native ant species but it is one of dozens of ants species now found in the Islands. Flying carpenter ants are larger than normal house ants as much as 1 inch long.

Ants Of Hi Hawaii Ant Lab

They are primarily found outdoors and nest in rotting wood or tree stumps or wood that has been hollowed out by termites.

Hawaiian carpenter ants. Insect experts call that stuff frass You can identify a carpenter ant from other types by their size. It is a wood eater commonly found in houses in dry leeward areas of Hawaii. Though carpenter ants on the mainland can cause as much damage as termites Hawaiian carpenter ants do very little damage to wood.

For this reason and because of its name it. Larger Yellow Citronella Ant. They just like living in wood usually outside in tree stumps and rotting wood but they are happy to make nests in crevices cabinets cardboard boxes and other locations indoors where they can find food and.

Worldwide there are more than 10000 species of ants. In Honolulu the following species of ants are the most common. If you start seeing random piles of particles that look like wood shavings thats a sign you have carpenter ants.

Ants of the genus Camponotus are known as carpenter ants because they prefer to establish their colonies in galleries excavated from damp or damaged wood. Adult Hawaiian Carpenter ants measure from 5 mm to 127 cm in length and are Hawaii s largest ant species. Argentine Ants first became established on Oahu in 1940 and have spread throughout the Hawaiian Islands preferring the cooler climates of higher elevations.

Carpenter ants are generally not structural pests but once in awhile we get a call for the giant black carpenter ants here in Hawaii. Hawaiian Carpenter Ant Latin Name. Ants in Hawaii are primarily a nuisance in and around the home and do not cause serious damage.

Carpenter ants also are usually red-black or all-red all-black or all-brown. Southeastern Asia Midway Hawaiian Islands. We find these ants in rock walls trees and in the.

This species only reaches about 2 mm long and they are a shiny black color. They cut galleries into the wood grain to form their nests and provide passageways for movement from section to section of the nest. Theres also a red variety of carpenter ants that are about half the size of the black version.

Although it is primarily found outdoors the Hawaiian carpenter ant will establish nests in wood that has previously been hollowed out by termite or inside rotting logs and tree stumps. They are the largest ant species in the. Western Black Carpenter Ant.

Camponotus variegatus Hawaiian carpenter ant Although not originally from Hawaii this ant was first discovered and described in Hawaii. Hawaiian Carpenter Ant Latin Name. About 12 to 58.

Ants are social insects like honey bees and termites. Carpenter ants are also known for spraying a toxic substance from their head but the body explosion kills the carpenter ant. These are some of the most troublesome ants in Hawaii because this species can ruin wooden structures as they tunnel through wood to create nests.

The carpenter ant is Hawaiis largest ant species growing to about a half-inch in length. If carpenter ants is the species infesting your home its important to remove and replace any rotten decaying wood in the walls or under the floors as this decaying material is what fosters the ant colony. They have distinct caste members within the colony.

Ghost ants white-footed ants carpenter ants pharaoh ants crazy ants big-footed ants little fire ants and tropical fire ants. Both are orange in. Hawaiian Carpenter Ant Scientific Name.

This is particularly true of the Hawaiian carpenter ant which is very much unlike its wood-eating Pacific Northwest relatives. They are considered a nuisance species. Ranked among the worlds 100 worst animal invaders Argentine Ants can cause significant ecological and economic damage.

Their colonies often comprise only 20 to 200 individuals with many queens. They are typically yellowish-brown with dark brown stripes across the top of the abdomen. Camponotus variegatus Probably native to Southeast Asia as Hawaii has NO native ant species but it is one of dozens of ants species now found in the Islands.

The University Of Hawai I Insect Museum