This species can be differentiated from S. fasciata by the differences in shape and size of the pronotum. In S. camelus, the crest peaks above the eyes and [typically] is both much larger and taller. In S. fasciata, the crest is more rounded and peaks more centrally above the body.

The nymphs of Smilia camelus can be attended to by ants, specifically the species Formica integra. Nymphs secrete honeydew which the ants use as a food resource, and in turn the ants defend the nymphs and the oak saplings they are feeding on from any predators. Additionally, studies have shown that larvae of the butterfly Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii) on the same host plant as nymphs of S. camelus are tended to by the same ants tending the hopper nymphs. Therefore, there is a likely triple mutualist symbiosis going on between S. camelus, F. integra, and Edward’s Hairstreak larvae, with occurrence of hopper nymphs and their resulting ant caretakers benefiting hairstreak larvae, and vice versa. (Webster & Nielsen, 1984)