Japanese Carpenter Ant

Japanese Carpenter Ant

Camponotus japonicus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Gwangju

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

7 Verified sightings at Gwangju
August Best month

About the Japanese Carpenter Ant

Camponotus japonicus, commonly known as the Japanese carpenter ant, is a species of ant native to eastern Asia. It is black, and one of the largest ants. A nest has about ten to thousands of individuals, and it can be a pest when it enters households or protects aphids. There are several subspecies of this ant in different areas of Asia, with the largest of the species being located in northern China.

The queen is black but has microscopic brown hair protruding from the thorax and abdomen. They are 17 millimeters long. Before mating, the queen has four transparent brown wings supported by brown veins. The 12-millimeter-long male has a longer and straighter antennae and a slimmer body. Unlike the workers, both the queen and the male have three ocelli.

The workers are divided into three subcastes based on their size, which varies from 6 to 15 millimeters. The largest subcaste of workers is also called the soldier. The ant has sensilla, which can recognize CHC-mixtures from non-nestmates, to which it can be aggressive.

Camponotus japonicus inhabits a wide range, including Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Iran, the Philippines, China, Mongolia and Russia... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Busan 🇰🇷 South Korea
~30%
2 Hefei 🇨🇳 China
~30%
3 Harbin 🇨🇳 China
~30%
4 Gwangju 🇰🇷 South Korea
~30%
5 Nagoya 🇯🇵 Japan
~20%
6 Tokyo 🇯🇵 Japan
~20%
7 Sendai 🇯🇵 Japan
~20%
8 Seoul 🇰🇷 South Korea
~20%
9 Wuhan 🇨🇳 China
~20%
10 Qingdao 🇨🇳 China
~20%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Japanese Carpenter Ant in Gwangju?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Carpenter Ant sighting in Gwangju on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 13th most-seen of the 20 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Japanese Carpenter Ant in Gwangju?

April and August

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Carpenter Ant in Gwangju on a given day, against under 5% in June–July and September–November, the lowest months. Those are among Gwangju's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain a month against 30 mm in January. March and December–January have too few records to rate.

Is Gwangju the best place to see a Japanese Carpenter Ant?

Among the best

Of the 15 cities where we can rate Japanese Carpenter Ant sightings, Gwangju ranks 4th at about 30%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Busan (South Korea, about 30%), Hefei (China, about 30%) and Harbin (China, about 30%).

Where does the Japanese Carpenter Ant sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Japanese Carpenter Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Gwangju (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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