Description

This is a large, monogynous (single-queen), claustral, polymorphic ant species. They exhibit three worker castes (minor, media, major). The workers are robust, strong, and resilient. The queen’s head and thorax are reddish, while her gaster is shiny black. The workers have a brown head and thorax, with a black gaster. In addition to their strong mandibles, they defend themselves by spraying acid. They become more active and develop faster in warmer conditions. They form colonies consisting of several thousand individuals. The queen’s lifespan can reach 10-15 years. Due to their slow reproduction, starting a colony from a queen requires a lot of patience, making it more suitable for experienced keepers at the beginning. However, once the colony has 20-25 workers, it can also be recommended for beginners.

Feeding: Honey and insects.

Reproduction: The colony initially grows slowly, raising at most 25-40 workers in the first year, but by the second year, they can reach around 100 workers. As typical for Camponotus species, the colony is timid while it has few workers, but once they reach several hundred individuals, they become bold and aggressively defend their territory.

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