Colobopsis truncata

This is the door-plugging carpenter relative you can keep without a tropical rig. Small and tidy, it shows the classic Colobopsis trick of soldiers sealing the nest entrance with their flat, stopper-shaped heads. Native to Italy and across Europe and the Mediterranean, it differs from its tropical cousins in one key way: it needs a real seasonal cool period, and managing that wintering is the main extra step for the keeper. It is diurnal, with nuptial flights in summer late in the evening. For someone ready to handle a proper winter rest, it is an easy colony to house and a charming one to observe.

A small wood-dwelling omnivore that takes sugars and honeydew and feeds the brood on insect protein, foraging by day. Keep a sugar source out at all times and offer protein two or three times a week outside the winter rest.

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

Start the queen in a test tube and upgrade once the first workers floor it. This European wood-dweller nests in hollow twigs, so a branch-cavity nest holding light humidity, aerated concrete or a wood-cavity design kept moderately damp, suits it, with a compact arena. The winter rest is not optional: cool it to 5-10 degrees for four months, so keep it portable for a wine cooler. Workers climb, so seal the rim with fluon (PTFE), oil, or talc and water. ANTonTOP formicaria and starter kits fit this compact setup.

Cooler than its tropical relatives. Keep the nest at 21-25 °C and the arena at 22-26 °C, with nest humidity at 60-75% and arena humidity at 50-65%. A gentle thermal gradient across the arena lets the colony pick its spot. The winter rest is not optional: hold the colony at 5-10 °C for four months, then bring it back up to active temperatures for the new season.

Colobopsis grow at a moderate, steady pace, reaching up to 1,000 workers in time, with the yearly winter rest naturally setting the rhythm of the buildup. Each season’s pause spaces out the growth rather than stalling it. You receive a queen with workers and brood, ready for a compact wood-style setup.

• The soldiers have flat, cork-shaped heads they press into the nest opening to seal it, recognising and admitting only their own colony.
• This is one of the few European members of a mostly tropical lineage, which is why it needs a real cold winter rest rather than year-round warmth.
• Colobopsis nests in hollow twigs and dead branches, often high in oaks and other trees rather than in the soil.

Is Colobopsis truncata good for beginners?

It is rated Intermediate; the main extra step is giving it a proper winter rest.

Does it need hibernation?

Yes, a mandatory winter rest at 5-10 °C for 4 months.

Does it sting?

No sting; just a mild bite, so it is gentle to keep.

How big can the colony get?

Up to 1,000 workers from a single queen.

How big is the queen?

The queen is 6-8 mm, workers 3-5 mm and soldiers 4-6 mm.

How fast does it grow?

A moderate, steady pace, naturally slowed by the yearly winter rest.

What does it eat?

Sugar water and nectar for carbs, plus crickets and flies for protein outside the rest period.

Will it arrive alive?

You get queen, workers and brood with a heat or cool pack, dispatched within 24 h with tracking for a safe live arrival.

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.