Camponotus ligniperda

This is a common species present throughout Europe as well as the Caucasus and Asia Minor. Its distribution is generally more southern than that of Camponotus herculeanus (Czechowski et al. 2002). It inhabits mostly mixed and deciduous forests, but can also be found in open habitats. Nests are built mostly in dead trees or wood stumps. (Marko et al., 2009)

Identification
Collingwood (1979) - Alitrunk bright yellowish red to red; pubescence is short and sparse, usually absent on medial dorsal surfaces of the first and second gaster tergites. Length: 6-14 mm.

This species is similar in all castes to Camponotus herculeanus but distinguished by the brighter colour and more shining gaster.

Distribution
Central Spain to West Russia, Sicily to Central Sweden (Collingwood 1979).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine.

Biology
Collingwood (1979) - This species is characteristically found in stony banks and along the sun exposed borders of woodland, either nesting under stones or in dry stumps. It is an aggressive ant biting freely and will sometimes attack other Camponotus or Formica colonies. The larger workers bite their opponents clean through the alitrunk or crush their heads with their strong mandibles. A more xerothermic species than Camponotus herculeanus its habits are otherwise similar.

Nomenclature

 * obsoleta. Formica obsoleta Christ, 1791: 509, pl. 60, fig. 5 (q.). [Unresolved junior primary homonym of Formica obsoleta Linnaeus, 1758: 580.] Junior synonym of ligniperda: Emery, 1892b: 161.
 *  ligniperda. Formica ligniperda Latreille, 1802c: 88, pl. 1, figs. A-N (s.w.q.m.) FRANCE. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953e: 187 (l.); Hauschteck, 1961: 221 (k.). Combination in Camponotus: Mayr, 1861: 36; in C. (Camponotus): Forel, 1914a: 266. Subspecies of herculeanus: Forel, 1874: 39; Mayr, 1886d: 420; Emery, 1893i: 674; Forel, 1915d: 68; Karavaiev, 1927c: 275. Status as species: André, 1882a: 142; Forel, 1889: 255; Nasonov, 1889: 10; Forel, 1899c: 130; Bondroit, 1912: 352; Bondroit, 1918: 69; Emery, 1920b: 255; Menozzi, 1922c: 143; Emery, 1925b: 73; Karavaiev, 1936: 181; Stitz, 1939: 237; Röszler, 1942a: 54; Holgersen, 1942: 11; Kutter, 1977c: 205; Collingwood, 1979: 91; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 212. Junior synonym of herculeanus: Bernard, 1967: 340; revived from synonymy: Collingwood & Yarrow, 1969: 81. Senior synonym of obsoleta: Emery, 1892b: 161; of herculeanoligniperdus: Bolton, 1995b: 108. Current subspecies: nominal plus afer, nigrescens.
 * herculeanoligniperdus. Camponotus herculeanus var. herculeanoligniperdus Forel, 1874: 39 (w.q.m.) SWITZERLAND. Subspecies of ligniperda: Menozzi, 1922c: 144; Emery, 1925b: 74. Raised to species: Stitz, 1939: 242. Junior synonym of ligniperda: Bolton, 1995b: 103.