Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Ants (Formicoidea) » Ants (Formicidae) » Formicinae » Camponotini » Carpenter Ants (Camponotus) » Subgenus Myrmothrix (Camponotus Subgenus Myrmothrix) » Florida Carpenter Ant (Camponotus floridanus)
Photo#15421
Big headed ant or soldier ant?? - Camponotus floridanus
Copyright © 2005 Charles Weber

Big headed ant or soldier ant?? - Camponotus floridanus
Ft. Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida, USA
I found this behavior unusual for ants, they had a tree full of aphids and they were herding them and protecting them from anything, even me. does anyone know anything about this behavior??

Images of this individual: tag all
Aphid farm protector - Camponotus floridanus Big headed ant or soldier ant?? - Camponotus floridanus Aphid Farming?? - Camponotus floridanus
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Charles Weber on 21 April, 2005 - 11:53pm
Last updated 16 June, 2009 - 10:01pm

Moved
Moved from Carpenter Ants.
… John R. Maxwell, 16 June, 2009 - 10:01pm login or register to post comments

Florida carpenter ant
a.k.a. Camponotus floridanus
… James C. Trager, 4 May, 2009 - 6:17pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Ants.
… George Waldren, 25 June, 2007 - 4:26pm login or register to post comments

Neat behavioral shots!
Ants and Aphids have evoloved a mutally beneficial relationship, where the ants herd the aphids. The ant offers the aphids protection, and in some species the ant even stores the aphid eggs over winter. The ants use antennae to stimulate the aphids to produce "honeydew," a sweet substance that comes out of their, well, rearmost orifice.

Nice photos!

--Stephen

Stephen Cresswell
Buckhannon, WV
www.stephencresswell.com
… Stephen_WV, 22 April, 2005 - 5:32am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
Thanks Steven,
it looked something like that but I remember ants having a relationship like that with a certain plant, but never aphids..lol. it's good to know though, thank you.

Charles
… Charles Weber, 22 April, 2005 - 1:58pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact