Bearded Carpenter ant
ExploreInsects
Bearded Carpenter ant
Camponotus subbarbatus
The Bearded Carpenter Ant is a busy little insect that loves to build its home in wood. They have fuzzy, bearded-looking jaws that help them carry food and build their nests.
Habitat: Forests
Appearance
The Bearded Carpenter ant has a reddish-brown head and thorax, often with a darker, sometimes black, abdomen. Its defining feature is a distinct 'beard' of stiff bristles, called psammophores, located beneath its head. This coloration and beard help distinguish it from other carpenter ant species.
KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderHymenopteraFamilyFormicidaeGenusCamponotus
Category
InsectsRarity
Common
Danger
2/5 · Low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
A queen ant can live for over 15 years, laying thousands of eggs throughout her life!
Some carpenter ants have different sized workers, like tiny scouts and giant defenders!
These ants use their sense of smell to follow invisible trails left by their friends!
When threatened, they bang their heads against tunnel walls to warn their colony!
Special abilities
Ability
Beard Power
Bearded Carpenter ants can carry small particles like sand and food crumbs using the stiff bristles under their head, which helps them clean and forage.
Ability
Wood Architect
Bearded Carpenter ants excavate galleries in decaying wood using their strong mandibles, which helps them create safe nesting sites for their colony.
Ability
Acid Defense
Bearded Carpenter ants can spray formic acid from their abdomens when threatened, which helps them deter predators and defend their nest.
Measurements & details
- Size
- 6-12 mm
- Lifespan
- 60-365 days
- Leg Count
- 6
- Colony Size
- 10000
Diet & Feeding
They are omnivores, munching on sweet plant juices and small insects they find.
Primary Foods
- honeydew
- nectar
- tree sap
- small insects
- insect carcasses
Foraging Method
- Foraging
Ecological connections
depends on
cotton aphid
Aphis gossypii
They 'farm' aphids for their sweet honeydew.
eaten by
pileated woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Woodpeckers dig into wood nests to find them.
shelters
white oak
Quercus alba
They nest inside dead or decaying oak trees.
eaten by
red wood ant
Formica rufa
Predatory ants sometimes raid their nests.
Traits
Furry
Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
Social
Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
Omnivorous
This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.
Tool Use
This trait describes organisms that manipulate external objects to achieve a specific goal.
Decomposer
Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Forest
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
Keystone Species
Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
Safety
Danger
2/5 · Low
Don't disturb ant nests; they are working hard and can bite if scared.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is Bearded Carpenter ant?
6-12 mm
How long does Bearded Carpenter ant live?
60-365 days
What does Bearded Carpenter ant eat?
They are omnivores, munching on sweet plant juices and small insects they find.
Where is Bearded Carpenter ant usually found?
Forests
How does Bearded Carpenter ant hunt?
Foraging
How many legs does Bearded Carpenter ant have?
6
How large are Bearded Carpenter ant colonies?
10000
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