# Bicolored Carpenter Ant (*Camponotus vicinus*) The Bicolored Carpenter Ant is a busy little insect that loves to build its home in wood! They are black and red, making them easy to spot. These ants work together to find food and keep their nest safe. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Bicolored Carpenter Ant](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Camponotus_vicinus_casent0005353_profile_1.jpg&width=800) Photo: April Nobile, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Camponotus_vicinus_casent0005353_profile_1.jpg) ## Appearance The Bicolored Carpenter Ant has a distinctive appearance with a reddish-brown head and thorax, contrasting sharply with its dark brown or black abdomen. Its body is relatively large and robust for an ant, and it possesses strong mandibles. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Hymenoptera - **Family:** Formicidae - **Genus:** Camponotus ## Interesting facts - Bicolored Carpenter Ants often march in lines, following scent trails to food. - Some queen ants can live for over 15 years, laying thousands of eggs. - They are mostly active at night, foraging for food under cover of darkness. - They don't eat wood, just tunnel through it to build their homes! ## Special abilities - **Wood Sculptor:** Bicolored Carpenter Ant can carve intricate nests inside wood because of its powerful jaws that help them create safe homes. - **Sweet Tooth Tracker:** Bicolored Carpenter Ant has an amazing sense of smell that helps them find sugary liquids like honeydew from aphids, even from far away. - **Colony Commander:** Bicolored Carpenter Ant has different sized workers, majors and minors, which helps them perform specialized tasks for the colony's survival. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 12-20 mm - **Size:** 6-20 mm - **Lifespan:** 2555-7300 days - **Leg Count:** 6 - **Colony Size:** 10000-100000 ## Diet & Feeding These ants enjoy sweet sugary liquids and protein from other insects. - **Primary Foods:** honeydew, dead insects, plant sap, fruit juice, insect larvae - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** Cotton Aphid (*Aphis gossypii*) — for their sugary honeydew. - **Eaten by:** [Hairy Woodpecker](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hairy-woodpecker) (*Picoides villosus*) — when foraging for them in wood. - **Shelter:** [Douglas Fir](https://www.snappit.app/explore/douglas-fir) (*Pseudotsuga menziesii*) — by excavating nests in decaying trees. ## Traits - [Striped](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/striped): Marked with parallel bands or lines of color. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Don't disturb ants or their nests, as they can bite if they feel threatened. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Bicolored Carpenter Ant? Compare the antennae, waist segments, body proportions and size. Workers, queens and males of the same species can look surprisingly different. Ant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Bicolored Carpenter Ant's wingspan? 12-20 mm ### How big is Bicolored Carpenter Ant? 6-20 mm ### How long does Bicolored Carpenter Ant live? 2555-7300 days ### What does Bicolored Carpenter Ant eat? These ants enjoy sweet sugary liquids and protein from other insects. ### Where is Bicolored Carpenter Ant usually found? Forests ### How does Bicolored Carpenter Ant hunt? Foraging ### How many legs does Bicolored Carpenter Ant have? 6 ## Where to spot - [Barrio De Analco Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/barrio-de-analco-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Red Butte Garden and Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/red-butte-garden-and-arboretum) — Utah, US · Botanical Garden - [Sioux County Courthouse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sioux-county-courthouse) — Nebraska, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Bicolored Carpenter Ant](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/bicolored-carpenter-ant) ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Bicolored Carpenter Ant: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bicolored-carpenter-ant)