Camponotus pressipes

The major workers are the headline here. This Bornean carpenter ant produces big, broad-headed soldiers with a presence few others match, and the strong polymorphism between them and the smaller workers makes a mature colony fascinating to watch. It wants steady tropical warmth and never needs a winter rest, so seasonal care is off the table, but its higher heat demand and that pronounced caste range put it at intermediate. A standout for keepers drawn to imposing, heavy-jawed majors.

A large tropical carpenter ant that eats broadly: sugars and honeydew keep the workers fuelled while insect prey powers the brood and those big majors. Keep a sugar source available and offer insects a few times a week; it does not take seeds.

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

Start the queen in a test tube and shift her once the first workers carpet the floor. This large tropical wood-nester wants warm, humid chambers, so a spacious moisture-holding nest in Ytong or acrylic with a well-damped section and a big arena suits it best. Upgrade nest size once two-thirds of the chambers are in use. The powerful majors test boundaries, so seal the rim with a fluon band or talc and water. An ANTonTOP formicarium or starter kit covers every stage with the parts matched as a set.

No hibernation here: this tropical species stays active year-round, so keep feeding through winter without lowering the temperature. Hold the nest at 24-28 °C and the arena at 24-30 °C, with nest humidity 50-70% and the arena at 40-60%. Warm one end to build a gradient the colony can use to settle its brood.

Expect a slow founding phase typical of large carpenter ants, then steady growth toward up to 2,000 workers, with eggs taking about 4-6 weeks to reach the first workers. You receive a queen with workers and brood ready to grow on in your nest.

• Camponotus pressipes is a Southeast Asian carpenter ant from Borneo, one of the world’s great strongholds of Camponotus diversity.
• It is strongly polymorphic, with broad-headed major workers that crush tougher food and help guard the nest.
• Carpenter ants gnaw galleries into wood for shelter but feed on honeydew and prey, leaving the timber undigested.
• The gut bacterium Blochmannia lives inside the workers’ cells and supplements their diet, a partnership shared across the whole genus.

Is Camponotus pressipes good for beginners?

It is intermediate, mainly because of its higher warmth needs and large, polymorphic workers.

Does the Bornean carpenter ant need a winter rest?

No, it is tropical and stays active all year; keep feeding and do not lower the temperature.

Does Camponotus pressipes sting or bite?

No, no sting, only a mild bite.

How large does the colony get?

Up to 2,000 workers at maturity.

How large is the queen?

The queen is 16-18 mm, with majors reaching 14-17 mm and workers 7-14 mm.

How fast does it grow?

Slow during founding, then steady once the first workers arrive.

What does it eat?

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

Will it arrive alive?

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