Camponotus holosericeus

This is a big Southeast Asian carpenter ant, and the scale is the draw: large individuals and a colony that builds presence over time give you an impressive nest to display. Coming from tropical Thagata it skips dormancy entirely, so it keeps building through the year with no winter break to schedule. The workers spread across a wide size range as the colony matures, so the arena stays varied and busy. Steady warmth and feeding keep it on track as numbers climb, making it a strong pick for an intermediate keeper drawn to large tropical carpenters.

A big tropical carpenter ant that fuels its workers on sugars and honeydew and channels insect protein into the brood. Keep a constant sweet feeder and supply protein through the week, since a sizeable colony keeps the nursery busy.

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

Settle the founding queen in a test tube, then upgrade to a Ytong or acrylic formicarium as the colony heads toward several thousand workers. This tropical carpenter ant likes a damp nesting area, so hold one chamber around 50-70% while the arena sits drier at 30-50%. Move up in stages so brood stays concentrated and the colony is not overwhelmed. As a ready climber it needs the arena ringed with fluon (PTFE) or talc and water. An ANTonTOP formicarium and starter kit supply nest, outworld and barrier together.

Tropical and active all year, with no cooling period to manage. Keep both the nest and arena warm: nest 24-28 °C and arena 24-30 °C, holding 50-70% humidity in the nest and 30-50% in the arena. Heat one side only so the colony can move along a gradient, keeping its brood in the warmth while foragers work the cooler arena.

Like most carpenter ants it grows slowly at first and then speeds up, building toward a mature colony of up to 5,000 workers. Patience early on pays off as the worker force compounds. Your colony arrives as a laying queen with workers and brood, ready to continue in a warm, roomy nest.

• The name holosericeus means “wholly silken”, a nod to the fine sheen of hairs covering the body.
• It is a carpenter ant, one of more than a thousand species in Camponotus, the largest ant genus.
• Southeast Asian carpenter ants tend sap-sucking bugs for honeydew, a reliable carbohydrate source in tropical forest.
• Defence is chemical: workers spray formic acid rather than carrying a sting.

Is Camponotus holosericeus good for beginners?

It is Intermediate; founding is easy, but the large tropical colony needs consistent warm care.

Does this Southeast Asian carpenter ant need a winter rest?

No. It is tropical and active all year.

Does Camponotus holosericeus sting or bite?

No sting; only a mild bite.

How big does the colony get?

Up to 5,000 workers.

How large is the queen?

The queen is 16-20 mm, with workers 8-11 mm and majors 11-15 mm.

How fast does it grow?

Slow at first, then faster as worker numbers rise.

What do you feed holosericeus?

Sugar water or nectar plus insects like crickets and flies.

Will the ants arrive alive?

Yes. Queen, workers and brood ship with 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.