Camponotus aeneopilosus

A Golden-tailed sugar ant at Evatt, ACT

Camponotus aeneopilosus at Evatt, ACT - 4 Apr 2022
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Identification history

Camponotus aeneopilosus 8 Apr 2022 JonLewis
Unidentified 8 Apr 2022 Hb

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3 comments

JonLewis wrote:
   8 Apr 2022
Hi Hb, it’s not an invasive species, just a friendly native Sugar Ant. They can’t sting and have a very gentle bite, but can really make some big nest mounds! Cheers, Jon
Hb wrote:
   10 Apr 2022
Thanks for very quick response. Very good news they're native and not invasive. Any relationship with climate change if these ants weren't here (from 1979) till 6 months ago ? Are they "moving through" the landscape ? Enjoying (or not) the very wet times ? Is there info online ?
JonLewis wrote:
   11 Apr 2022
Hi Hb, there is not enough information to say if these ants are increasing in the region as there is no systematic monitoring of general insect populations undertaken in Australia. However, two wet years in a row means that conditions have been good for most plants, animals and insects. More rain generally means more productivity for plants and so it is also good for the insects that eat them, all the way up the food chain. I think lots of insects, including ants, have increased in the last couple of years after the last drought broke at the beginning of 2020. It is likely that there will be subsequent declines in numbers of ants whenever we go through a few "average" years and certainly when we go through the next drought! Cheers, Jon

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Location information

Sighting information

  • 1,001 - 10,000 Abundance
  • 4 Apr 2022 01:32 PM Recorded on
  • Hb Recorded by

Additional information

  • 5mm to 12mm Animal size
  • Unknown Gender
  • Nest building Breeding behaviour

Species information

Record quality

  • Images or audio
  • More than one media file
  • Confirmed by an expert moderator
  • Nearby sighting(s) of same species
  • GPS evidence of location
  • Description
  • Additional attributes
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