Camponotus Ca02

There is a certain appeal to keeping something the textbooks have not formally named yet, and this Neotropical carpenter ant carries that draw. It builds a large, polymorphic colony with a wide spread of worker sizes, so a mature nest is full of contrast and activity to watch through the day. Being tropical, it never stops for winter, which keeps care consistent year-round. The intermediate rating comes from its eventual size and its need for steady warmth rather than any trouble at the founding stage, making it a good step up for a keeper ready for scale.

A typical carpenter-ant appetite: sugars keep the foragers going and a reliable nectar source pays off, while live insects fuel the brood. Offer protein two or three times a week and the major-heavy worker force will haul it back fast.

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

Start this undescribed tropical in a test tube and upgrade once founding workers blanket the floor, moving to an aerated-concrete or hybrid nest kept damp at 55-70% on the warm side. Plan ahead for size, as a colony nearing 10,000 workers will want a deep arena eventually. Being keen climbers, they test the walls, so coat the arena rim with fluon, oil, or talc and water. ANTonTOP formicaria and starter kits bundle the moisture nest, arena and barrier ready to populate.

Aim for 20-26 °C in the nest and a warmer arena at 22-32 °C, with the nest held at 55-70% humidity and the arena drier at 40-60%. Heat just one end so the colony can pick its own comfort zone along the gradient. Coming from the tropics, it takes no winter rest at all, so keep it warm and keep the food coming straight through the colder season.

With gentle heating the first workers can appear in roughly 4-6 weeks, which sets up a quick start. From there growth builds steadily toward 2,000-10,000 workers, and the polymorphic majors start showing up as the nest matures. You receive a laying queen together with her workers and brood.

• This ant has no formal scientific name yet; “Ca02” is a hobby code keepers use to track an undescribed Neotropical species until taxonomists describe it.
• The Neotropics hold some of the highest ant diversity on Earth, and many Camponotus there are still unnamed, so collected stock often circulates by code first.
• Carpenter ants of this kind defend themselves with formic acid and a strong bite rather than a sting.
• The wide minor-to-major size range is classic carpenter-ant polymorphism, where big-headed soldiers handle defence and heavy lifting.

Is Camponotus Ca02 good for beginners?

It is rated Intermediate, so it suits keepers with some experience who can supply steady warmth for a large colony.

Does Camponotus Ca02 need a winter rest?

No, it is tropical and does not hibernate, so keep feeding through winter.

Does Camponotus Ca02 sting or bite?

No, it has no sting; only a mild bite.

How large does a Ca02 colony get?

Around 2000-10000 workers.

How large is the queen?

The queen measures 14-18 mm.

How fast does it grow?

With heating, first workers appear in about 4-6 weeks, then growth accelerates.

What does it eat?

Sugar water or nectar plus insects like crickets and flies; mealworms occasionally.

How is it shipped?

As a queen with workers and brood, with a heat or cool pack, dispatched within 24 h with tracking.

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.

Keeping reminders. Always offer fresh water and never let the nest dry out completely. Give carbohydrates continuously and protein a few times a week, and remove uneaten insect prey within 24 hours before it moulds. Keep the formicarium out of direct sunlight and away from constant vibration, which stresses a young colony. A water-filled test tube plugged with cotton makes an ideal spare incubator whenever you need one.

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 slowly at first, which is normal. Moving a small colony into a large nest too soon invites mould, mites and stress, and the workers die off one by one. Keep the colony in its open test tube on the arena, plug the nest entrance with cotton, and open up the next chambers only once the colony fills roughly 10-15% of the 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.