Hairy Carpenter Ant

Appearance

"Camponotus vagus" is a relatively distinctive species that is easily identified by its large size, uniform black colour, and the long and dense body "hairs" on its exoskeleton. A eusocial insect, individuals have continuous allometric variation in size and morphology to facilitate task allocation and partitioning of work. Workers are 6–12 mm in length. The larger "major workers" act as guards for in defence of the colony and protect the smaller "minor workers" when the latter go foraging outside the nests. The powerful mandibles of the major workers are capable of decapitating smaller arthropods captured as food and dismembering smaller ants of other species.

Naming

"C. vagus", like all ants in genus "Camponotus", may be referred to by the English language common name "carpenter ant" but it is known by other names across its range. In the Netherlands, for example, this species is known in Dutch as "zwarte reuzenmier", i.e. "black giant ant."

Habitat

The colonies are commonly found in dry habitats, especially open forests and forest edges. "C. vagus" most typically builds its nests in dead wood, but colonies can also be founded under stones. An average colony has 1,000 to 4,000 workers, but larger colonies contain up to 10,000 individuals.

Food

"C. vagus" is known to be both carnivorous and aphidicolous.

Evolution

"vagus. Formica vaga Scopoli", 1763: 312 AUSTRIA. Latreille, 1802c: 96. Hauschteck, 1961: 221. Combination in "Camponotus": Roger, 1863b: 1; in C. : Forel, 1914a: 266. [Misspelled as "vagans": Emery, 1891b: 20.] Subspecies of "herculeanus": Emery, 1896d: 372; Emery, 1908a: 185; Bondroit, 1910: 488. Revived status as species: Ruzsky, 1905b: 241; Forel, 1915d: 68; Emery, 1916b: 225; Emery, 1920b: 255; Finzi, 1924a: 14; Karavaiev, 1927c: 275; Finzi, 1930d: 317; Santschi, 1931a: 11; Stitz, 1939: 246. See also: Yasumatsu & Brown, 1951: 31; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 551; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 214. Senior synonym of "pubescens": Olivier, 1792: 492; Emery, 1891b: 20; Forel, 1892i: 306; of "fuscoptera": Latreille, 1802c: 96; of "kodorica": Radchenko, 1997a: 558. Current subspecies: nominal plus "ifranensis".

As just noted, "Camponotus vagus ifranensis" is recognized as a subspecies. Previously identified subspecies "Camponotus vagus kodoricus" and "Camponotus vagus vagus" are no longer recognized.