Description

One of the largest Camponotus species in the world! This is a monogynous (single-queen), clasutral and polymorphic ant species. They are native to Northeast Asia. They have three worker castes (minor, media, major). The workers are massive, strong, and resilient. Both the queen and the workers are black, with bright red heads and striking, shiny golden hairs on their abdomen. In addition to their strong mandibles, they defend themselves with formic acid. The largest major workers have such powerful bites that they can even cut off brush hairs! In nature, they nest underground or among rocks and stones. 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 and a particularly stress-free environment, making their care recommended only for experienced keepers. Once the colony reaches 50 workers, they become much easier to maintain. They are mostly active at night, but  forage during the day in diffused light in captivity. They collect food both at ground level and in the canopy layer. Larger, impressive major workers appear relatively early.

Recommended only for experienced ant keepers!

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 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. A mature colony can reach up to 500-1000 workers.

Hibernating: As a tropical ant species, they do not require wintering. However, during the winter months, approximately from December to February, they stop laying eggs. During this period, heating is not necessary, and room temperature is recommended. However, they remain active and need to be fed as usual.