Large Camponotus sp: very large Sugar ants

FORMICINAE

Balbyter Sugar ants: Camponotus fulvopilosus

There can be few residents, travellers, picnickers, campers etc. in our more arid areas who are not familiar with the infamous Balbyters. The major workers of these sugar ants are amongst the largest of our ants, up to 20 mm long, and always easily recognised by their gasters thickly clad in golden hairs. Camponotus fulvopilosus is their scientific name; the specific name means ‘tawny’ or ‘dark yellow’ + ‘hair’. 

The ants are active during the day, and have a remarkable ability to see human beings – or at least to detect our movements, without having our shadow pass over them. The minor workers are about 11 mm long and are usually more common than the majors.

They move very rapidly, with rather jerky movements, and hold their gasters up sometimes almost vertically when they run, giving them a rather spidery appearance – they might do this to keep their bellies cool. When they detect your presence they stretch upwards in an aggressive manner, but I have found that they run away more often than they attack. They love sweet nectar and are often seen fossicking around in various flowers. They nest under flat rocks and stones, with a network of underground tunnels and colonies – which are mutually antagonistic – can number several hundred individuals. 

There are three related species that are somewhat similar in appearance:
C. brevisetosus : granite outcrops on the Drakensberg escarpment;
C. detritus :  Namib dunes
C. storeatus : Southern Cape
Only the last of these qualifies as a Western Cape ant.

Camponotus storeatus [White Balbyter Sugar ant] occurs down the Breede River Valley, around McGregor, Montagu, Barrydale, etc. As the common name implies the dense hairs on the gaster are paler than those of C. fulvopilosus, and the rest of the ant is a dark red rather than red-black. In every other way, however, they are similar to C. fulvopilosus and are the same size.
Whether the popular name ‘balbyter’ is justified or not is outside my own experience. I have always used this name for Anoplolepis, which is fond of nesting in and around termite mounds. When you sit down on the mounds, especially in short pants, Anoplolepis make their presence felt all right. No sense of common decency at all.

Survive invasive species:
Linepithema humile       : Argentine ants       : No
Pheidole megacephala  : House ants            : unknown
Lepisiota sp.                  : Small Black ants   : unknown
Technomyrmex albipes : White-footed ants  : unknown
Anoplolepis gracilipes   : Yellow Crazy ants  : unknown

Spotted Sugar ants (Camponotus maculatus)

Spotted Sugar ants (Camponotus maculatus) are widespread throughout South Africa (and indeed further afield). That said, it appears that the species is in a considerable taxonomic mess, with any number of sub-species and varieties accorded to various colour variations and even variations in size. For the moment it seems best to consider them all as one, with paler to darker variants. The ants can be coloured from pale yellow to dark reddish brown, and older individuals are often darker. 
There are usually from 2 to 4 distinct patches of a different colour on the gaster, hence the common name. All the variants are nocturnal wanderers who do not run in trails, and the workers can be any size from 8 mm to a whopping 20+ mm. They are rather timid ants but when faced with danger they readily squirt formic acid at their foes.

They nest in the ground, under flat stones and rocks, in smallish colonies of a few hundred individuals; the nests can tunnel underground for nearly a metre sometimes. They seem to occur in all Cape habitats except areas invaded by Argentine ants, who always destroy these gentle giants.

These ants are easy to keep in captivity and their size makes them easy to study. They are relatively calm by nature – but they must always be carefully shielded from Argentines. If the nest is disturbed you’ll notice that some of the individuals appear to be asleep; their more active sisters stimulate them with quick, jerky movements to open their jaws, then pick them up. The inactive ant curls itself up under its sister’s head in a sort of foetal position, and is carried away.

Survive invasive species:
Linepithema humile       : Argentine ants       : No
Pheidole megacephala  : House ants            : unknown
Lepisiota sp.                  : Small Black ants   : unknown
Technomyrmex albipes : White-footed ants  : unknown
Anoplolepis gracilipes   : Yellow Crazy ants  : unknown

Bayne’s Sugar ant (Camponotus baynei)
Handsome ants, closely related to C. maculatus above, they are slightly smaller (majors up to about 14mm, minors about 7mm), but are dark brown to black with copper highlights, and lack the abdominal spots of the larger ant. They live in small colonies in mountain fynbos and on the flats; named after Lockie-Bayne, who collected ants in the Hermanus area in 1917.

Survive invasive species:
Linepithema humile       : Argentine ants       : No
Pheidole megacephala  : House ants            : unknown
Lepisiota sp.                  : Small Black ants   : unknown
Technomyrmex albipes : White-footed ants  : unknown
Anoplolepis gracilipes   : Yellow Crazy ants  : unknown

Velvet sugar ants (Camponotus rufoglaucus)
Another handsome species, from a wide range of countries around the world (in various subspecies, of course). The first of the species to be described hailed from India and are described as ‘blood red’ in colour, hence the ‘rufo-’ in the name. The Western Cape subspecies is dark red to almost black, and the velvety finely-haired gaster is almost smooth black in some colonies. They seem to prefer forested environments; our specimens come from Tzitzikamma where they were seeking nectar from wild dagga plants [Leonotis leonorus] during the late afternoon. The prominent white bristles on the gaster are reminiscent of the much-smaller Camponotus niveosetosus.

Survive invasive species:
Linepithema humile       : Argentine ants       : Probably not
Pheidole megacephala  : House ants            : unknown
Lepisiota sp.                  : Small Black ants   : unknown
Technomyrmex albipes : White-footed ants  : unknown
Anoplolepis gracilipes   : Yellow Crazy ants  : unknown