Species Spotlight: Black Carpenter Ant

Black Carpenter Ant
Big Thicket Association (http://www.thicketofdiversity.org/)

Black Carpenter Ant
Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Description: A large ant (6-13 mm long). All castes of this species, including the major and minor workers, queens, and males, are black or blackish. Numerous erect hairs are present on the dorsal surface of the alitrunk, petiole, and the entire surface of the gaster.

Habitat: Nests in live and dead trees, rotting logs and stumps, and in wood products such as fences, telephone poles, and buildings.

Distribution: This genus includes some of the most common ants in the world.

Status: Due to the black carpenter ants nesting in man-made structures, this species can cause serious damage making it a serious economic pest.

Resources: Mississippi Entomological Museum

Insects
Fiery searcher beetle (Calosoma scrulator)
Fiery searcher beetle (Calosoma scrulator) [Image courtesy of USGS NWRC]

Insects are small arthropod animals of the class Insecta with bodies divided into three segments (head, thorax, and abdomen). They have an exoskeleton with three pairs of legs, two antennae, and usually one or two pairs of wings. Examples include flies, mosquitoes, beetles, butterflies, bees, crickets, and dragonflies.

Below are additional resources and information from the NBII Catalog pertaining to insects in the Central Southwest/Gulf Coast region. To limit results, type a state's name into the search box.


Insect Resources
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Mosquito Control

Mosquito
Mosquito [Image courtesy of USGS]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that "mosquitoes can be annoying and sometimes pose a serious risk to public health. In certain areas of the United States, mosquitoes can transmit diseases like West Nile Virus and equine encephalitis. To combat mosquitoes and the public health hazards they present, many federal agencies, states and localities have established mosquito control programs."

To learn more about mosquito control, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Mosquito Control website.
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