Camponotus petersii

This African carpenter ant is worth the patience. A mature nest runs thousands strong and looks the part, calm and orderly, which makes it a pleasure to photograph and watch. It stays active all year with no winter rest to manage, and its single-queen setup keeps colony politics simple. What nudges it into intermediate is the warmth it expects and its slow early growth, so a little experience helps. A good fit once you have one beginner colony under your belt and want a larger tropical Camponotus.

An African carpenter ant with a broad omnivore diet: sugars and honeydew sustain the foragers while insect prey drives brood growth. Keep a sugar source out at all times and offer insects a few times a week; seeds are ignored.

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

Found the queen in a test tube and move her into a compact nest once founding workers cover the floor. This wood-nester favours warm, fairly dry conditions, so an aerated Ytong or acrylic nest with one lightly damp chamber and a roomy, drier arena suits it. Upgrade nest size when about two-thirds of the chambers are occupied. Keep escapes in check with a fluon band, oil, or talc and water around the rim. An ANTonTOP formicarium or starter kit covers founding to a full colony with the parts matched.

No hibernation here: it is tropical and stays active year-round, so keep feeding through the cooler months without dropping the temperature. Aim for 20-26 °C in the nest and 18-28 °C across the arena; the nest sits at 50-60% humidity while the arena runs drier at 30-50%. Heat only one end so the colony can pick its comfort zone along the gradient.

Expect the slow founding phase typical of carpenter ants, then steady acceleration once the first workers are out, building toward up to 5,000 workers. Eggs take about 4-6 weeks to reach the first workers. You receive a healthy queen with workers and brood ready to grow on in your nest.

• Camponotus petersii is an Afrotropical carpenter ant and a relatively uncommon sight in the hobby, native to southeastern Africa.
• Its workers are polymorphic, running from small minors up to larger soldiers that handle defence and heavier food.
• Carpenter ants carve nest galleries into wood but feed on honeydew and insects, not the timber.
• The genus-wide gut bacterium Blochmannia tops up the ants’ nutrition, helping colonies thrive on a carbohydrate-rich diet.

Is Camponotus petersii good for beginners?

It is rated intermediate, best after one easy species, mainly because it needs steady warmth and starts slowly.

Does the Mozambican carpenter ant need a winter rest?

No, it is tropical and stays active all year, so just keep feeding through winter.

Does Camponotus petersii sting or bite?

No sting, only a mild bite.

How big does the colony get?

Up to 5,000 workers in a mature colony.

How large is the queen?

The queen measures 13-15 mm, with soldiers at 7-10 mm and workers 4-9 mm.

How quickly does the colony build up?

Slow at first, then steady once the first workers appear.

What does it eat?

Sugar water or jelly for energy plus insects like crickets and flies for protein.

Will it arrive alive?

Yes, it ships with a queen, workers and brood plus a heat or cool pack, sent 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.