Namib Desert Dune Ant

Camponotus detritus · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae

Also called: Desert Balbyter ant

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Namib Desert Dune Ant
Photo: Robert Taylor, CC BY

The Namib Desert dune ant weighs about 45 mg and shows white and black symmetrical stripes on a hairy abdomen. It lives on the hot, dry dunes of the central Namib Desert, where it builds stable nests using plant material. It feeds on honeydew from scale insects on shrubs, climbs plant stalks for moisture, and also eats dead insects.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

An adult weighs about 45 milligrams (0.0016 oz).

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

The ants construct stable nests by collecting organic plant material such as leaves.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

It obtains food and moisture by drinking honeydew from scale insects on shrubs. It also consumes dead insects.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Its native range is the central Namib Desert of Southern Africa.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Formicidae)

Eastern Black Carpenter AntEastern Black Carpenter AntCamponotus pennsylvanicusCan damage your homeRed Imported Fire AntRed Imported Fire AntSolenopsis invictaCan stingAmerican Winter AntAmerican Winter AntPrenolepis imparisArgentine AntArgentine AntLinepithema humileNuisance, not dangerousImmigrant Pavement AntImmigrant Pavement AntTetramorium immigransCan stingOdorous House AntOdorous House AntTapinoma sessileCan damage your home

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namib_Desert_dune_ant

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

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