Camponotus Cf. Vestitus

Camponotus cf. vestitus 

A type of carpenter ant that is widespread throughout South & East Africa. This species of shiny ant is relatively small with queens measuring 12mm and workers reaching upto 8mm as majors. As other species of the Camponotus genera, this ant has both minor and major worker ants.

In the wild, colonies are often found underground in areas of grassland and therefore, these soild-dwelling ants have adapted to a range of granular soil types. However, these can often be observed nesting below rocks and similar structures. 

As these ants cover a large range, they can often tolerate and thrive in different temperature and humidity conditions as they can be found in subtropical regions as well as semi-desert habitats. Therefore, it's recommended to keep these ants at a temperature of 21-24C and 30-50% humidity. 

In terms of feeding, they will take a range of insects, from crickets to fruit flies. 

Colony growth on average is pretty fast however colonies typically don't reach very large numbers, often being comprised of a few thousand individuals in nature. 

It is illegal and strictly frowned upon to release any non-native ants into the wild.