Carpenter Ant (camponotus americanus)

October 17, 2025

Sample information
Picture
Photos by: Eamonn H
Location
Collection date 09/04/2025
Captive / Cultivated? Wild-caught
Group St. Albans School
Observations

I collected this carpenter ant in the woods on STA’s campus. I collected it in the late morning in late summer/early fall and the temperature was around 70 degrees F outside.
Putative identification Arthropoda Insecta Hymenoptera

Methods
Extraction kit DNeasy (Qiagen)
DNA extraction location Abdomen
Single or Duplex PCR Single Reaction
Gel electrophoresis system MiniPCR
Buffer TBE
DNA stain GelGreen
Gel images
Protocol notes

I crushed the carpenter ant up really well and cut off its legs and head so I could isolate the abdomen. I got a band for CO1, meaning that I was able to extract arthropod DNA from my ant.

Results
Wolbachia presence No
Confidence level High
Explanation of confidence level

All of the controls worked as expected and I did not get a band for my sample. Other people in the class got bands and were positive for Wolbachia, so I’m very confident.
Wolbachia 16S sequence
Arthropod COI sequence Download FASTA    Download AB1
nnnTTTGATCnGGNnTAATTGGTTCTTCnnnnAGAATAATTATTCGATTAGAATTAGGATCCCCTGATTCACTAATTCTTAATGATCAAACCTTCAATACTATCGTTACAAGCCATGCTTTTATTATAATCTTTTTCATAGTTATACCTTTTATAATTGGAGGnTTTGGTAACTTCTTAGTACCCTTAATACTTGGGTCTCCTGATATAGCCTATCCACGCATAAATAACATAAGATTCTGATTACTACCCCCTTCAATTTCTCTATTAATCTTAAGAAATTTTATTAATGAAGGATCAGGAACAGGTTGAACTATTTATCCCCCCCTATCATCTAATACCTTTCATAGTGGTCCCTCTATTGATTTAACTATTTTTTCCCTTCATATTGCCGGAATATCATCAATTCTAGGGGCAATCAATTTTATTTCAACAATTTTAAACATACATAAnTCTAATATTACCTTAGATAAAAnTCCCCTATTAGTAnGATCTATTCTTATCACTGCTATTCTCCTCCTCCTCTCCCTTCCTATTCTTnnAGGAnCTATTACAATACTACTTACnGAnCGAAAnCTCnnTACTTCAnTTTTTnnnCCCTCAGGAnGAGGAnAnCCTnnTCTATnnnnnCACTTnnTTT
BLAST at The Wolbachia Project   BLAST at NCBI
Summary The Hymenoptera was found to be negative for Wolbachia.
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