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Camponotus — carpenter ants

Carpenter ants are one of the largest and most popular genera in the hobby: big, conspicuous ants with workers of different sizes.

Camponotus albosparsus Camponotus angusticollis Camponotus baldaccii Camponotus barbaricus Camponotus cinctellus Camponotus cruentatus Camponotus dolendus Camponotus fedtschenkoi Camponotus fellah Camponotus festinus Camponotus fragilis Camponotus guangxi Camponotus guizhouensis Camponotus helvus Camponotus holosericeus Camponotus japonicus Camponotus jianghuaensis Camponotus lasiselene Camponotus maculatus Camponotus mitis Camponotus mutilarius Camponotus nicobarensis Camponotus ocreatus Camponotus pilicornis Camponotus politae Camponotus pseudoirritans Camponotus pseudolendus Camponotus pudorosus Camponotus quadrinotatus Camponotus reichardti Camponotus sanctus Camponotus singularis Camponotus sylvaticus Camponotus thoracicus Camponotus tonkinus Camponotus turkestanicus Camponotus turkestanus Camponotus vanispinus Camponotus vicinus Camponotus vitiosus

Why carpenter ants are interesting

Camponotus is one of the largest ant genera, with more than a thousand species worldwide. In the wild they nest in wood, cavities and under stones, but they do not eat wood. A colony has small and large workers, and the majors have massive heads and powerful mandibles. They are easy to watch because the ants are big and conspicuous.

Care

  • Food: sugars (diluted honey, sugar syrup, fruit) and insects several times a week.
  • Farm: cork, wood, gypsum or aerated concrete nests work well; use a tight lid and an anti-escape barrier, as workers are good climbers.
  • Growth: colonies grow more slowly than harvester ants; the first workers are small and majors appear later.
  • Hibernation: depends on origin. Temperate species (Japan, Central Asia, Europe) need hibernation, tropical ones need warmth all year.

Choosing a species

Hardy species such as Camponotus nicobarensis, Camponotus fellah and Camponotus barbaricus are good to start with. Large tropical species such as Camponotus singularis are impressive but need steady warmth and humidity. Each species page describes its conditions.

Catalog

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