Camponotus maculatus

Species at a glance

• Origin: much of Africa and neighbouring warm regions
• Size: queen 15–18 mm; workers 6–14 mm
• Colony: a single queen; up to 10,000 workers in the wild
• Difficulty: intermediate, for keepers with some experience

Care conditions

• Temperature: 24–30 °C with a 28–30 °C warm spot by day; never below 24 °C
• Humidity: 50–70%
• Food: sugars at all times (diluted honey, sugar syrup, pieces of fruit) and insects 2–3 times a week; water from a test tube or water feeder

Hibernation

Not needed.

Farm and colony growth

Carpenter ants readily live in cork, wood, gypsum or aerated concrete nests. Workers are good climbers and look for gaps, so use a tight lid and an anti-escape barrier on the arena walls. The queen founds the colony alone and does not eat until the first workers appear; the first workers are small, and majors appear once the colony grows.