Camponotus compressus is a type of ground-nesting 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. They add nutrients into the soil through their discarded waste piles [2] 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. These ants range from red to black and some times appear slightly yellow in colour.[citation needed]
| Camponotus compressus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Camponotus compressus tending soft scale insects | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Genus: | Camponotus |
| Species: | C. compressus
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| Binomial name | |
| Camponotus compressus (Fabricius, 1787)
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References edit
- ^ Shetty, P. S. (1982). "Gustatory preferences of ants (Camponotus compressus) for urea and sugars". Experientia. 38 (2): 259. doi:10.1007/BF01945100.
- ^ "Lycaenid-tending ants can contribute to fitness gain of the infested host plants by providing nutrients". Arthropod-Plant Interactions. 2020. doi:10.1007/s11829-020-09785-2.
External links edit
Media related to Camponotus compressus at Wikimedia Commons
