Camponotus japonicus

This is one of the most recognisable carpenter ants in East Asia, a striking glossy-black species that anchors a serious display colony. It lives on a real seasonal clock with a proper winter dormancy, so it suits a keeper who has founded once already and wants to learn hibernation. There is a behavioural quirk worth watching: day-active for much of the year, it shifts to dawn, dusk and night foraging through the peak summer heat. The queen founds sealed away, raising her first brood over a couple of months, and the colony then builds steadily into a substantial nest.

A large omnivorous carpenter ant that gathers honeydew and sugars for its workers and hunts insects to raise the brood. Keep a carbohydrate feeder available and offer protein through the week, easing right off as winter dormancy approaches.

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

Start the founding queen in a test tube, move her into an ANTonTOP starter kit, then upgrade to a formicarium once workers pass twenty to thirty. This large carpenter ant nests in wood, so hold one nest area damp near 50-70% with the arena a little drier at 40-60%. Grow the colony in steps and plan around its required November to March winter rest. Line the arena with fluon (PTFE) or talc and water, since the workers climb readily. An ANTonTOP formicarium and starter kit scale with the colony.

Run the nest at 20-24 °C and the arena at 22-30 °C, with 50-70% humidity in the nest and 40-60% in the arena. Heat one side only to build a gradient the ants can use. A winter rest is required from November to March: bring the colony down to cool temperatures over winter, then warm it back up gradually in spring as activity returns.

Growth is steady rather than fast, with the first brood taking about eight to twelve weeks, and the colony can reach up to 5,000 workers over the years. The seasonal cycle paces its development. You receive a laying queen with workers and brood, ready to establish before its first hibernation.

• This is one of the largest and most familiar ants across Japan, Korea and much of East Asia, a common sight in gardens and woodland.
• Gustav Mayr formally described it in 1866, and it has been a staple study ant in East Asian entomology ever since.
• It shifts its routine with the seasons, foraging by day for much of the year but switching to dawn, dusk and night activity in the peak of summer heat.
• Defence is by formic acid spray, the standard carpenter-ant tactic, with only a mild bite and no sting.

Is Camponotus japonicus good for beginners?

It is Intermediate and manageable, but the required hibernation makes it better as a second colony.

Does the Japanese carpenter ant need a winter rest?

Yes, it is required from November to March with a cool winter rest.

Does Camponotus japonicus sting or bite?

No sting; it gives only a mild bite.

How big can the colony get?

Up to 5,000 workers over time.

How large is the queen?

The queen is 15-18 mm; workers are 6-9 mm and majors 9-14 mm.

How fast does it grow?

Steady, as the first brood takes about 8-12 weeks, and a queen can live around 10-15 years.

What do you feed japonicus?

Sugar water or jelly plus insects such as crickets and flies.

Will the ants arrive alive?

Yes, 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.