Desert Leaf-Cutter Ant vs Florida Carpenter Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Desert Leaf-Cutter Ant Florida Carpenter Ant
Scientific Name Acromyrmex versicolor Camponotus floridanus
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Formicidae
Size 3-10 mm 5-11 mm
Habitat Gardens Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions North America Southeastern United States
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Desert Leaf-Cutter Ant

The only leaf-cutter ant adapted to true desert habitats in North America. It harvests leaves and flower petals to grow fungus gardens underground.

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Did You Know?

Queens found new colonies after summer monsoon rains and may cooperate with other queens to share the initial digging work.

Florida Carpenter Ant

A bicolored carpenter ant with a reddish-orange head and thorax and black abdomen. It is the most common structural pest ant in Florida.

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Did You Know?

Florida carpenter ants have among the largest genomes of any ant species studied, containing around 240 million base pairs.