Camponotus habereri Care Guide: The Carpenter Ant from Taiwan
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Not much is known yet about Camponotus habereri. It is a fairly rare carpenter ant, and in this guide we put together what we do know: where it comes from, how to recognise it and how to care for it at home. Our advice is based on our own experience with this species and with related species such as Camponotus nicobarensis. Want to keep this species yourself? Have a look at our Camponotus habereri colonies.
Where do they come from?
According to AntMaps, Camponotus habereri is native to Taiwan. There are also records from India and Japan. In the wild they nest in the ground, under stones and in rotting wood, like many other ants. Taiwan is warm and wet, with monsoons and a humid sea climate.
How to recognise them
At first glance Camponotus habereri looks like Camponotus nicobarensis. Look closer and you see the difference. Camponotus nicobarensis has two clear orange spots on the thorax. Camponotus habereri has several light stripes across the thorax, in the workers too. That makes the two easy to tell apart.
Nuptial flight
There are no records yet of when Camponotus habereri holds its nuptial flights. If you know more, we would love to hear from you.
Winter rest
In Taiwan it is warm all year round, so this species does not need a winter rest. In the cooler months the colony may grow a little slower. We see that Camponotus habereri simply keeps growing when you heat the colony in winter.
Food
Like most carpenter ants, Camponotus habereri loves sweet food. Give sugar water, sugar jelly or a sugar cube in the outworld. They are fairly large ants, but still be careful with dishes full of liquid. Put a piece of cotton in it so the workers cannot drown. For protein you can give all kinds of insects, from fruit flies to cockroaches such as red runners. For small colonies, choose small prey that they can easily carry into the nest.
Warmth
They do fine at room temperature, but then they do not grow as fast. If you want them to keep growing well, heat one side of the nest with a heat mat or heat cable. That way the colony can choose where it wants to be.
Humidity
Because it rains a lot in Taiwan, you might think this species likes a wet nest. Still, most carpenter ants do not like much moisture in the nest. We keep our carpenter ants fairly dry, especially as the colony gets bigger. A small moist spot and always water in the outworld is enough. Watch your ants closely: do they like to sit near the moisture, or stay far away from it?
Nest
Start with a test tube. That is the best way to found a colony, and our test tube setup guide shows how. Once the first workers are there, connect a small outworld so they can look for food. When the test tube is full, you can choose from many types of nests. Larger colonies do very well in our XL Type B Ytong nests or in our XL Mesh Nests. The XL Mesh Nests are slightly safer, as the ants may chew on Ytong over time. Give them a slightly larger outworld too, because they like to roam.
Growth
Not much is known yet about how fast this species grows. With us they grow fairly fast so far, especially with some extra warmth. How fast it goes for you depends on warmth, food and the colony itself. Have a look at our Camponotus habereri, or watch the video about this species below.
We will add to this guide as soon as we know more. Do you have experience with Camponotus habereri yourself? Feel free to email us at info@estheticants.com.
Sources
AntWiki: Camponotus habereri. AntMaps. Climates to Travel: Taiwan. Central Weather Bureau Taiwan (2021): Taiwan's Climate in 2021.
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