Camponotus substitutus

The warm Brazilian climate this carpenter ant comes from means there is no hibernation to manage, which is a big part of why it makes such an easy starter. The care routine is straightforward, with no cool rest to time and no fragile seasonal window to plan around. Year-round activity is the other quiet bonus: you actually get to watch the colony develop through most of the year rather than losing months to dormancy. As it grows you see clear caste variation appear, giving the nest character. A solid, low-fuss entry into keeping carpenter ants.

This Brazilian carpenter ant takes sugary liquids for everyday energy and turns to insects when there is brood to feed. Its simple appetite is part of what makes it forgiving for a first colony.

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

Found this Brazilian carpenter ant in a test tube and keep the queen there until her first workers arrive, then upgrade. Its nest sits a touch damper than the arena, so an Ytong, acrylic, or 3D-printed formicarium with one hydrated chamber and drier living space reads it well, paired with a foraging arena. As a tropical species it works year round, so keep the nest end steadily moist. Coat the rim with fluon (PTFE), oil, or talc and water, as these ants climb. ANTonTOP formicaria and starter kits cover each stage.

A tropical ant, so it keeps going all year with no cooling period. Keep the nest at 24-28 °C and the arena at 24-30 °C, with nest humidity 50-70% and arena humidity 40-60%, holding the nest a little damper than the arena. Warm one side so the ants can pick their preferred spot along a gradient. Keep temperatures up and food coming right through winter.

Carpenter ants start slowly, with a quiet founding phase before the colony ramps up toward several thousand workers. Because it never goes dormant, you get to watch that growth across most of the year. You receive the queen with her workers and brood to carry it on.

• substitutus is one of many South American carpenter ants in this very large genus.
• Year-round activity is typical of lowland tropical Camponotus, which never face a cold season to sit out.
• Carpenter ants excavate galleries in wood and cavities but do not eat the wood, a key difference from termites.
• The genus has no sting and defends itself with sprayed formic acid, as all Formicinae do.

Is Camponotus substitutus good for beginners?

Yes. It is rated Beginner thanks to its simple routine and no hibernation to manage.

Does it need hibernation?

No. It is tropical and stays active year-round, so keep it warm and fed all winter.

Does it sting?

No. Expect only a mild bite.

How big does the colony get?

Several thousand workers under a single queen.

How large is the queen?

The queen is 14-17 mm, with workers at 5-9 mm and soldiers at 8-12 mm.

How fast does it grow?

Carpenter ants found slowly, then build steadily over many months.

What does it eat?

Sugar water or nectar plus insects such as crickets and flies; it does not eat seeds.

Will it arrive alive?

Yes. It ships as a queen with workers and brood, with a season-matched heat or cool pack, within 24 hours and 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.