Camponotus intrepidus

This is a big, good-looking ant that stays easy to keep. Workers reach around 10 mm and the queen about 20 mm, and the colony is polymorphic, so as it grows you get a clear range of worker sizes from small nest workers up to broad-headed majors. There is no separate soldier caste; the majors are simply enlarged workers. The species is nocturnal, so most foraging and activity happen in the evening and at night, which suits a colony you watch after work. It is calm for its size and rarely bites, and the founding queen raises her first workers entirely on her own body reserves. Keep it for the size, the glossy black-and-red look, and the low-fuss husbandry.

A typical sugar ant, so it is an omnivore that runs on carbohydrates and insect protein. Give a constant sugar source for the adults and regular insects for the brood. It is not a seed eater, so do not feed it like a harvester ant.

★★★ readily · ★★ moderately · ★ occasionally · ✗ not eaten

Start the founding queen in a water test tube and leave her undisturbed through the early brood, since she founds claustral and needs no feeding until the first workers appear. As the colony grows, move it into a firm gypsum or aerated-concrete nest with roomy chambers to suit a large-bodied ant, paired with a spacious outworld for foraging. Seal every rim with fluon (PTFE), oil, or a talc-and-water mix and fit a tight, fine-mesh lid, because a big, active worker is a determined climber. ANTonTOP formicaria and starter kits supply a scaled nest, arena and barrier in one ready set.

Keep the active season at 22-26 °C with humidity around 50-70%, offering both a moist zone and a drier corner so the colony can choose. Heat one side of the nest only and leave a cooler side, rather than holding the whole setup at one temperature. This species comes from a part of Australia with a cool season, so it does best with a light winter rest: drop it to about 15-18 °C for roughly two months in the colder part of the year. The rest is gentle rather than a deep hibernation, but it supports queen longevity and a natural colony rhythm.

Growth is steady rather than fast. Because the queen founds fully claustral, she raises the first workers on her own reserves, and the colony builds gradually from there into a large, polymorphic sugar-ant colony with a wide range of worker sizes. Patience early on pays off. What you receive is a laying queen with a group of workers and brood, a complete colony ready to move into its first nest and grow on.

• It was described by William Kirby in 1818, originally as Formica intrepida, from a worker collected at Sydney (Port Jackson), New South Wales.
• It is one of the largest Australian sugar ants, rivalling Myrmecia bull ants in sheer size.
• Colonies build large earthen mound nests with a thatched covering of charcoal, leaves and twigs and narrow chimney-like entrances.
• It is docile for its size and a nocturnal forager, most active in the evening and at night.
• It makes a good large beginner species: the founding queen is fully claustral and undemanding.

Is Camponotus intrepidus suitable for beginners?

Yes. It is rated Beginner: the queen founds fully claustral and is undemanding, and the colony is docile and low-fuss, so it suits a first large Camponotus.

Does it sting?

No. It has no sting. It can bite and spray formic acid in defence, but bites are rare and it is docile for its size.

Does Camponotus intrepidus need a winter rest?

Yes, a light one. Give it a gentle cool rest at about 15-18 °C for roughly two months in the colder part of the year. It is not a deep hibernation.

How big does it get?

The queen is around 20 mm and workers about 10 mm. The colony is polymorphic, so you get a range of worker sizes up to broad-headed majors.

Is there a soldier caste?

No distinct soldier caste. The largest workers, the majors, are simply enlarged workers rather than a separate soldier form.

What should I feed it?

A constant sugar source such as sugar water or ant nectar, plus insects like crickets, roaches and flies for the brood. It is an omnivore, not a seed eater.

Why do I rarely see it during the day?

It is nocturnal. Most foraging and activity happen in the evening and at night, so watch the colony after dark for the best view.

Will my colony arrive alive?

Yes. You receive a queen with workers and brood, shipped with a heat or cool pack and dispatched with tracking, under our live-arrival guarantee.

Escape prevention. Coat the inner rim of every open arena with fluon (PTFE), or use talc-and-water or an oil barrier as a backup, and keep a tight, fine-mesh lid on top. Check the barrier regularly, since dust, condensation, and feeding debris break a fluon line over time. Keep tubing connectors tight and seal any gaps in the nest, because a large, active worker will find a weak point.

Keeping reminders. Always offer fresh water and never let the nest dry out completely. Give carbohydrates continuously and insect protein a few times a week, and remove uneaten prey within 24 hours before it moulds. Keep the formicarium out of direct sunlight and away from constant vibration, which stresses the colony.

Before you buy – do not rehouse too early. Have a test-tube setup or a small formicarium with an outworld and a working barrier ready before your colony arrives. A founding colony grows gradually, which is normal. Moving a small colony into a large nest too soon invites mould, mites, and stress. Keep the colony in its test tube on the arena and open up the next chambers only once it fills about 10 to 15% of its current space.

What we ship. Every colony ships with a live-arrival guarantee, backed by our 24h unboxing-video guarantee: if the queen does not arrive alive, we reship free. Parcels travel with DHL, InPost (PL) or EMS, with a heat or cold pack to suit the season, packed discreetly and securely. We ship across the EU and worldwide, with free shipping over the Europe threshold.