Camponotus detritus is known as the Namib Desert Dune Ant and was first described in 1886 by Italian entomologist Carlo Emery.
C. detritus is found only in the hyper-arid Namib Desert (Namibia) and is noted for its significantly lower ventilation rates when contrasted with other species, significantly reducing the rate of respiratory water loss. The ants are observed to only forage outside the nest when the surface temperature ranges between 15 and 55°c.
Nests are simple structures, excavated 10 - 40cm deep in sand dunes amongst the roots of perennial vegetation.
C. detritus is preyed upon by the Golden Mole, Sand Lizard and Chirping Gecko, amongst others.
Image Copyright© Dan Rosenberg
Tags: Camponotus | detritus
About Us
AntBlog is a budding community of ant enthusiasts. We study ants and track ants in the news.... more
Featured
Latest updates
Do ants bleed? Ant circulatory system
Ant blood is a colourless liquid. It is circulated through the body by the contraction...
Formicarium
A formicarium is a purposefuly designed enclosure used to contain and study ants. The...
Eusociality
The term eusocial was introduced in 1966 by Entomologist Suzanne Batra and subsequentl...
About us
We're a community of ant enthusiasts who've been online since August 2008. Richard is ...
Keeping ants in captivity
Keeping and studying ants can be a rewarding experience. Wether you're interested in b...