Tropical Carpenter Ant

Tropical Carpenter Ant

Camponotus atriceps

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Main Ridge Forest Reserve

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

14 Verified sightings at Main Ridge Forest Reserve From 2019 to 2026
84 In all 8 parks
December Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Tropical Carpenter Ant

Camponotus atriceps, previously referred to as C. abdominalis, is a species of carpenter ant, endemic to the Americas. In the Amazon region, C. atriceps has been seen attacking colonies of stingless bees of the genus Melipona, especially M. flavolineata and M. fasciculata. It destroys hives and eats brood when food is low. Field research at Embrapa Amazônia Oriental in Brazil discovered that ants can be attracted to empty hive "trap boxes," offering an efficient non-chemical alternative for safeguarding managed bee colonies. Utilization of trap boxes in communal shelters of stingless bee colonies can serve as a non-chemical method for controlling tracuá carpenter ants (C. atriceps). Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Main Ridge Forest Reserve 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
~20%
2 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
3 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
4 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
5 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
6 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
7 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
8 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Fortaleza 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
2 San José 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
3 Caracas 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~10%
4 São Paulo 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
5 Guadalajara 🇲🇽 México
<5%
6 Monterrey 🇲🇽 México
<5%
7 Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Tropical Carpenter Ant in Main Ridge Forest Reserve?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Carpenter Ant sighting in Main Ridge Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 145th most-seen of the 346 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Tropical Carpenter Ant in Main Ridge Forest Reserve?

December

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Carpenter Ant in Main Ridge Forest Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in March–May, July and September–October, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Tropical Carpenter Ant?

Between 9 pm and midnight

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tropical Carpenter Ant sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is Main Ridge Forest Reserve the best place to see a Tropical Carpenter Ant?

Yes

Of the 8 parks where we can rate Tropical Carpenter Ant sightings, Main Ridge Forest Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, about 10%) and Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).

Where does the Tropical Carpenter Ant sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Tropical Carpenter Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Main Ridge Forest Reserve (14 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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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