Ants
Black Ants
Camponotus compressus
Appearance
Large, black, opaque body with reddish-brown legs and a massive gaster. Major workers have large mandibles and are 11–16 mm; minor workers have smaller heads and are 6–8 mm. A triangular node sits on the petiole.
Life span
Complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult. Eggs are small and ovoid. Larvae are fed by adults and pupate after several moults.
Males are winged and mate with the female.
Females are winged until after mating, are the largest caste, and become the reproductive queen. A queen can live many years.
Workers are wingless and sterile. They build the nest, forage, feed larvae, tend eggs, and defend the colony. Soldiers come from this caste and normally live about a year.
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