South and Southeast Asia.
Fine-art photographic collection
Camponotus parius
A carpenter ant that runs a honeydew economy around colonies of living aphids.
About this species
Camponotus pariusEmery, 1889
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Camponotus parius is an Asian carpenter ant that tends sap-feeding aphids, including the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii. Workers guard these insects and harvest the sugar-rich droplets they excrete.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Formicidae · Camponotus
Accepted species in current ant catalogues. · checked 2026-07-15
South and Southeast AsiaBroad documented range and selected reference localities — not a complete occurrence map.
What makes this species remarkable?
Workers stroke aphids with their antennae to stimulate the release of honeydew, then drink the droplet before it falls onto the plant.
The ants defend tended aphid colonies from predators and parasitoids, trading protection for a renewable liquid carbohydrate supply.
A forager can carry honeydew in an expandable crop and distribute it by trophallaxis, turning one aphid visit into food for many nest-mates.
Sources and scientific references
More photographs
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