Description

This is a large-sized, monogynous (single-queen), claustral and polymorphic ant species. They have three worker castes (minor, media, major). The workers are massive, strong, and resilient. The queen is shiny black with spectacular yellow markings on her thorax, and the front of her abdomen. The workers have black heads and abdomens, yellow thoraxes, and a yellowish gradient at the front of their abdomens. In addition to their strong mandibles, they defend themselves with formic acid. They are aggressive but only attack if their nest is disturbed. They become more active and develop faster in warm conditions. In nature, they nest in steppe or semi-desert areas and tolerate temporary drought well. They establish colonies consisting of several thousand workers. The queen’s expected lifespan can reach up to 10-15 years. Due to their slow reproduction, starting a colony from a queen requires a lot of patience, so their care is recommended for more experienced keepers initially. However, once the colony has 20-25 workers, they can be suitable for beginners.

Feeding: Honey and insects.

Reproduction: The colony reproduces slowly at first, raise 25-40 workers in the first year, but by the second year, they can reach a population of 100 workers. As a typical for Camponotus species, the colony is shy when they have few workers, but once they reach several hundred workers, they become bolder and aggressively guard their territory.

Hibernating: As a tropical ant species, they do not require wintering.