Camponotus singularis

Species at a glance

• Origin: the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, from India to Indonesia
• Size: queen 18–22 mm; workers 8–17 mm
• Colony: a single queen; up to 3,000 workers
• Difficulty: intermediate, for keepers with some experience

Care conditions

• Temperature: 22–28 °C; long spells below 20 °C stop egg laying
• Humidity: 60–80%
• Food: insects 2–3 times a week, ideally rotating different feeders; diluted honey, sugar syrup and ripe fruit

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.