Camponotus compressus

Camponotus compressus
Camponotus compressus tending soft scale insects
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Genus: Camponotus
Species: C. compressus
Binomial name
Camponotus compressus
(Fabricius, 1787)

Camponotus compressus is a species of ant found in India and Southeast Asia. It is a frequent visitor to toilets as it consumes urea.[1] It is one of the many species which tends plant-sap-sucking insects like aphids and tree hoppers. These ants stroke their antenna on the hind parts of these insects stimulating them to excrete a sugar rich liquid, called honeydew, which the ants consume. In return, they are known to protect the insects from predators like ladybugs.

References

  1. Shetty, P. S. (1982). "Gustatory preferences of ants (Camponotus compressus) for urea and sugars". Experientia. 38 (2): 259. doi:10.1007/BF01945100.


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