Camponotus castaneus (Red Carpenter Ant)
Camponotus castaneus (Red Carpenter Ant)
A very large, aggressive and striking species of carpenter ant often found throughout the Eastern United States. The queen of this species has a particuarly intense & vibrant red chestnut colouration whereas workers and majors are often a deep, golden honey colour, with most surfaces of the body being particularly glossy and shiny.
Camponotus castaneus queens are approximately 17-18mm in size, making them one of the largest Camponotus species in the USA. Worker ants are also fairly large ranging from 6mm - 11mm, with majors reaching upto 15mm in size!
Mature colonies often reach the 'thousand' mark with some colonies containing as many as 1,500 individuals roughly! This Carpenter ant is a ground dwelling species, often found nesting underneath stones in the soil. Colonies span a range of deciduous and mixed forests as well as some savannah habitats.
Camponotus castaneus is certainly a large species to behold and if you are looking for something slightly different to add to your collection, this is definitely it! Founding colonies can be rather slow to start, however once the first 10-20 workers eclose, one will find that they grow fairly rapidly in numbers afterwards, provided that the right nutrition and temperature parameters are provided.
This warm climate, forest dweller tends to grow exceptionally well at temperatures between 25-28C and a relatively high humidity of 65-75%. However, it is important that the appropiate ventilation is provided.
Interesting fact! This species of ant is often a host to Myrmecophilus pergandei, the Eastern Ant Cricket.. talk about social.
It is illegal and strictly frowned upon to release any non-native ants into the wild.
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