About Camponotus compressus (Fabricius, 1787)
Camponotus compressus, sometimes called the Indian black ant, is a ground-nesting ant species found in India and Southeast Asia. This species is a frequent visitor to toilets because it feeds on urea. It is one of multiple ant species that tend plant sap-sucking insects including aphids and tree hoppers. These ants add nutrients to soil through their discarded waste piles. To obtain food, the ants stroke their antennae on the hind sections of these sap-sucking insects, which stimulates the insects to excrete a sugar-rich liquid called honeydew that the ants consume. In exchange for this food resource, the ants protect the sap-sucking insects from predators such as ladybugs. Individual ants of this species vary in color, ranging from red to black, and some may appear slightly yellow.
