Camponotus species – LIFE IN THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WATERSHED

If sprinkles of pepper are the only black specks you care to find in your potato salad, and if the only thing you want in your pants is you, then having a swarm of ants visit your outdoor feast is out of the question. During our recent multi-day foray afield, ants were just a cupcake’s throw away, but none dared to scurry out from their hiding place to invade our spread. Fortunately for us, the local anteater was on duty, snatching them up whenever they came into sight—and sometimes before.

We’re all familiar with the Pileated Woodpecker, the prehistoric-looking, pterodactyl-like denizen of the forest whose appearance alone reminds us that birds are the surviving dinosaurs.

Carpenter Ants — Carpenter ants (Camponotus species) don’t eat wood, but instead excavate extensive nests called galleries in damp and rotting timber. The Pileated Woodpecker’s long anteater-like tongue is an adaptation for feeding on these insects. Carpenter ants often make up a majority of a Pileated Woodpecker’s diet, particularly during the warmer months of the year. They are one of the first foods young woodpeckers can easily locate and consume on their own. During the colder months, when ants can be harder to find, Pileated Woodpeckers excavate overwintering beetle grubs and other larvae while also seeking out energy-replenishing berries including Poison Ivy, wild grape, and bittersweet.

During one of the interludes between yesterday’s series of thunderstorms and rain showers, we had a chance to visit a wooded picnic spot to devour a little snack. Having packed lite fare, there wasn’t enough to share. Fortunately, pest control wasn’t a concern. It was handled for us…