Description

Recommended for beginners, this is a monogynous (single-queen), claustral, polymorphic ant species with three worker castes: minor, media, and major. The workers are robust, strong, and resilient. Both the queen and workers have striking patterns, being dusky black with shiny golden hairs covering their abdomens. Besides their strong mandibles, they defend themselves by spraying acid. They become more active and develop faster in warm conditions. They establish colonies with thousands of workers. In case of danger, workers alert their colony by tapping their heads. The queen’s lifespan can reach up to 10-15 years.

Feeding: Honey and insects.

Reproduction: The colony initially grows slowly, raising up to 25-40 workers in the first year, but by the second year, the worker count can reach 100. As is typical with Camponotus species, the colony is shy when it has few workers, but becomes more assertive and aggressively defends its territory once the colony size reaches several hundred.

Hibernating: As a tropical ant species, they do not require wintering. However, during the winter period, roughly from December to February, the queen stops laying eggs. It is not advisable to heat them during this time; room temperature is recommended. They remain active and still need to be fed regularly.