Camponotus atriceps

This ant is known to be a synanthropic species. De Oliveira et al. (2015) found two colonies of C. atriceps opportunistically nesting in Cecropia pachystachya trees (southwest Bahia, Brazil).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States. Neotropical Region: Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Biology
De la Mora et al. (2016) found this species nesting in logs found in coffee farms in the Soconusco region of Chiapas, Mexico. A small percentage of pupae were found to be parasitized by eucharitid wasps.

Koch et al. (2018) sampled this species in Caryocar barsiliense trees, in southeastern Brazil cerrado, as part of a study examining species interactions in ant-plants.

Leite et al. (2013) studied the foraging behavior of Celeus obrieni (Kaempfer's Woodpecker), a bamboo specialists that feeds on ants. This field study was conducted in central-western Brazil on the plains of the Araguiai River from 2008-2010. The research focused on foraging by C. obrieni on Guadua paniculata, a large bamboo species, in cerradão habitat. Celeus obrieni are known to forage and breed in patches of G. paniculata. Ants use the hollow stems of the bamboo as a nesting resource.

Leite et al. found the woodpeckers, in comparison with standardized foraging observations on other plants around these same sites, concentrated their foraging on bamboo. A sample of stems (n = 900) that were not visited by the woodpecker showed ~40% contained ant nests. Thirteen ant species were found, with three being common (76% of all nests): Azteca fasciata, Camponotus atriceps, and Camponotus depressus. Most nests for these were located 2-4 m from the ground. Dead stems (59%) contained more nests than live stems. A second set of bamboo stem samples, those foraged on and drilled into by C. obrieni, were also inspected. Drilling was concentrated at the same height where the majority of ant nests were found in the unforaged-stem samples. Despite the much larger proportion of live stems within each stand, more dead (62%) than live stems were drilled. Fifty-nine percent of the drilled stems contained ant colonies. Nests of Camponotus depressus were the most common, Azteca fasciata less frequent, and Camponotus atriceps found in only four of the drilled stems.

Vanoye-Eligio et al. (2020) provide the following notes based on collections using Multilure-type traps from northeastern Mexico: Four worker minors and 1 major of Camponotus atriceps were detected. This is a synanthropic species often observed nesting on trunks in coffee farms (De la Mora et al. 2015).

Fungi
This taxon is a host for the fungi (Araujo et al., 2018; Shrestha et al., 2017; Sobczak et al., 2017), and (Araujo et al., 2018; Shrestha et al., 2017).

Sobczak et al. (2017) - Studied C. atriceps infection by Ophiocordyceps camponoti-atricipis (an Entomopathogenic fungi) in an Atlantic forest biome area in Brazil. Describing the fungi: "All parasitized ants presented an abundant and visible external mycelium covering its thorax and mouthparts. The fruiting bodies of the fungi are initially white, turning light-brown over time. Single stroma produced from dorsal pronotum, averaging 8.6–16.9 mm, cylindrical, velvety and ginger brown at the base, becoming cram-pinkish towards apex. Fertile region of lateral cushions chocolate brown, darkening with age, variable in size. Perithecia immersed in the stroma, partially erumpent, flask-shaped, averaging 2–2.3 mm. Region near the stroma basis with short, exposed neck or ostiole, averaging 0.8–1.4 mm above the ant’s dorsal pronotum." The majority of the ants were found attached to leaves, biting onto the edge with closed mandibles, of coffee plants (Coffea arabica) at a height of 100-250 cm. It is unclear how typical such a response, i.e., height, plant leaf, plant species, etc., specificity holds for these two species but there does appear to be some behavioral modification produced by the fungus.

Nomenclature

 * abdominalis. Formica abdominalis Fabricius, 1804: 409 (w.) CENTRAL AMERICA. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953e: 196 (l.). Combination in Camponotus: Roger, 1862c: 285; in C. (Myrmothrix): Forel, 1912i: 91. [Junior primary homonym of Formica abdominalis Latreille, 1802c: 175.] Replacement name: Formica atriceps Smith, F. 1858b: 44. [Note: atriceps was given as a junior synonym of abdominalis Fabricius by Roger, 1862c: 285 and the synonymy was confirmed by Hashmi, 1973: 83; atriceps is first available replacement name: Bolton, 1995b: 83.] See under atriceps for synonyms formerly applied to abdominalis Fabricius.
 *  atriceps. Formica atriceps Smith, F. 1858b: 44 (s.w.) BRAZIL. Mayr, 1862: 660 (q.); Forel, 1878: 76 (m.); Mariano et al., 2001: 269 (k.). Combination in Camponotus: Roger, 1862c: 285. Junior synonym of abdominalis: Roger, 1862c: 285; Santschi, 1913h: 42; Hashmi, 1973: 83. Subspecies of abdominalis: Emery, 1906c: 187; Forel, 1911c: 310. Senior synonym of taeniatus: Mayr, 1870a: 378. Oldest synonym of, and hence first available replacement name for, Formica abdominalis Fabricius, 1804: 409, designated by Bolton, 1995b: 86. [Junior primary homonym of Formica abdominalis Latreille, 1802c: 175.] Junior synonyms attached to abdominalis Fabricius by Hashmi, 1973: 8283 are transferred to atriceps, which hence is senior synonym of: atricipitoesuriens, costaricensis, cupiens, depressidens, epistomatus, esuriens (and its junior synonym vulpinus), fuchsae, fulvacea, fumata, laevilata, mediopallidus, rabidus, romani, stercorarius, taeniatus, transvectus, ustulatus. Material of the unavailable names defrictus, flavobasalis, luisae, misionensis, panamanus, referred to abdominalis Fabricius by Hashmi, 1973: 82, is here referred to atriceps. Current subspecies: nominal plus nocens (status uncertain, see Hashmi, 1973: 120).
 * esuriens. Formica esuriens Smith, F. 1858b: 54 (s.w.) MEXICO. Norton, 1868c: 1 (q.m.). Combination in Camponotus: Roger, 1863b: 5; in C. (Myrmothrix): Emery, 1925b: 107. Subspecies of atriceps: Forel, 1879a: 76; Forel, 1885a: 340. Revived status as species: Pergande, 1896: 862. Subspecies of abdominalis: Emery, 1896d: 372; Forel, 1899c: 133; Kempf, 1972a: 60. Senior synonym of vulpinus: Roger, 1863b: 5; of fulvacea: Forel, 1885a: 340. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 83.
 * vulpinus. Camponotus vulpinus Mayr, 1862: 658 (w.q.) VENEZUELA. Junior synonym of esuriens: Roger, 1863b: 5.
 * taeniatus. Camponotus taeniatus Roger, 1863a: 149 (q.) MEXICO. Junior synonym of atriceps: Mayr, 1870a: 378; Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * fulvacea. Formica fulvacea Norton, 1868a: 60, pl. 2, fig. 1 (s.w.) MEXICO. Combination in Camponotus: Norton, 1868c: 2. Junior synonym of atriceps: Mayr, 1870a: 377; of esuriens: Forel, 1885a: 340. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of esuriens: Dalla Torre, 1893: 230. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * atricipitoesuriens. Camponotus atriceps var. atricipitoesuriens Forel, 1879a: 77 (w.) MEXICO. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * stercorarius. Camponotus atriceps r. stercorarius Forel, 1885a: 340 (w.q.m.) GUATEMALA. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953e: 196 (l.). Combination in C. (Myrmothrix): Crawley, 1916b: 376. Raised to species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 253. Subspecies of abdominalis: Emery, 1896d: 372; Forel, 1899c: 133; Forel, 1922: 99. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * ustulatus. Camponotus atriceps r. ustulatus Forel, 1885a: 339 (s.w.) GUATEMALA. Santschi, 1936b: 211 (q.m.). Combination in C. (Myrmothrix): Emery, 1925b: 108. Raised to species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 255. Subspecies of abdominalis: Emery, 1896d: 372; Forel, 1899c: 132. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * costaricensis. Camponotus abdominalis var. costaricensis Forel, 1899c: 132 (w.) COSTA RICA. Menozzi, 1927d: 339 (q.). Combination in C. (Myrmothrix): Emery, 1925b: 107. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * mediopallidus. Camponotus abdominalis r. mediopallidus Forel, 1901h: 70 (w.q.) COLOMBIA. [First available use of Camponotus abdominalis r. ustulatus var. mediopallidus Forel, 1899c: 132; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * cupiens. Camponotus abdominalis subsp. cupiens Forel, 1908c: 410 (s.w.q.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * fuchsae. Camponotus abdominalis subsp. fuchsae Forel, 1908c: 409 (s.w.q.m.) BRAZIL. Combination in C. (Myrmothrix): Bruch, 1914: 228. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * transvectus. Camponotus abdominalis subsp. transvectus Wheeler, W.M. 1910d: 326 (s.w.q.m.) U.S.A. Combination in C. (Myrmothrix): Emery, 1925b: 108. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * depressidens. Camponotus (Myrmothrix) abdominalis st. depressidens Santschi, 1922c: 107 (s.w.) FRENCH GUIANA. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * laevilata. Camponotus (Myrmothrix) abdominalis var. laevilata Santschi, 1922c: 108 (s.q.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * rabidus. Camponotus (Myrmothrix) abdominalis st. rabidus Santschi, 1922c: 107 (s.w.q.) PERU. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * romani. Camponotus (Myrmothrix) abdominalis subsp. romani Wheeler, W.M. 1923a: 5 (s.w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * fumata. Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) abdominalis var. fumata Stitz, 1933: 71 (w.) VENEZUELA. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.
 * epistomatus. Camponotus (Myrmothrix) abdominalis st. epistomatus Santschi, 1936b: 208 (w.) COLOMBIA. Junior synonym of atriceps: Hashmi, 1973: 82.