Camponotus nigriceps
| Black-headed sugar ant | |
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_worker.png) |
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| Black-headed sugar ant worker from Strangways, Victoria | |
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Camponotus |
| Species: | C. nigriceps |
| Binomial name | |
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Camponotus nigriceps (Smith, 1858) |
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| Subspecies | |
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| Occurrences reported to the Atlas of Living Australia as of April 2015 | |
| Synonyms | |
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| External identifiers for Black-headed sugar ant | |
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| Encyclopedia of Life | 590256 |
| ITIS | 576198 |
| NCBI | 605707 |
The black-headed sugar ant (Camponotus nigriceps), also known as the brown sugar ant, is a species of Formicinae ant endemic to Australia. Found throughout most states, the species is a member of the genus Camponotus, a cosmopolitan genus of ants commonly known as carpenter ants. It was formally described and named by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858. These ants are characterised by their black head, reddish-brown mesosoma and black gaster, which can change in colour.
The species is polymorphic: workers and soldiers measure 6 to 12 millimetres (0.24 to 0.47 in) and males are 12 millimetres (0.47 in). The queens are the largest members of the colony, measuring 16 millimetres (0.63 in). Colonies dwell in dry regions, including open areas or in dry sclerophyll woodland, where they nest in soil, large mounds or under stones. Nuptial flight occurs in summer and nests can hold several thousand individuals. Considered a household pest, black-headed sugar ants feed on sweet foods and insects and tend to butterfly larvae. Numerous birds and fish prey on these ants.
The black-headed sugar ant was described from a holotype worker by British entomologist Frederick Smith in his 1858 publication Catalogue of the hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part VI. Formicidae, and was originally placed in the genus Formica. Some years later, the species was assigned to the genus Camponotus by German entomologist Julius Roger. The specific name, nigriceps, is a combination of nigri, which derives from the Latin word nigra, meaning "black", and ceps, which is derived from the Greek word cephalē, meaning "head". This references the distinctive black head of the ant.
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