In this comprehensive blog post, we will go into detail about Camponotus habereri . How the species lives in the wild, where they come from and, most importantly, how to care for them at home.
How to care for Camponotus habereri
Distribution
Little information is available on Camponotus habereri, suggesting it is a relatively rare ant species. According to AntMaps, these ants are native to Taiwan. In addition, there are reports of sightings in India and Japan.
Wild lifestyle
Little is known about the wild lifestyle of Camponotus habereri. They are said to live in the ground, under rocks and in rotting wood - typical nesting sites for many ant species. Recent reports (2023) indicate their presence in India, with regional temperatures around 28 degrees Celsius at the time.
Identification
At first glance, Camponotus habereri looks similar to Camponotus nicobarensis, but closer inspection reveals an important difference.
Camponotus nicobarensis, as we all know a very popular ant species in the ant hobby, has two distinct orange spots on its chest.
Camponotus habereri has several stripes of lighter colour across the breast, making them easier to recognise. The workers also bear these features.
Size
Sizes of queens, workers and majors will be added to this post soon.
Mating flight
There are no online records of the ants' flight schedule during mating. We can only assume that they fly in summer, just like European ant species.
General information on the care of Camponotus habereri
Introduction
Due to its rarity, there is limited knowledge about the best care for Camponotus habereri. The advice given here is general and based on experience with this species and other Camponotus, such as Camponotus nicobarensis.
Hibernation
For hibernation, it is always useful to check the species' original location to see if they hibernate. The following data are from Taiwan's Climate in 2021 Central Weather Bureau, Taiwan.
"The situation was similar in Taiwan, where the average annual temperature was 24.25°C." (the Taiwan’s Climate in 2021 Central Weather Bureau, Taiwan.)
With this information, we can somewhat safely conclude that Camponotus habereri does not have diapause. Since temperatures are a bit lower from November to February, you can expect Camponotus habereri to grow a bit slower during this period.
Our personal observation is that Camponotus habereri just continues to grow if there is external heating to keep the colony warm.
Dietary needs
Like all ants, this species feeds mainly on sugars and insects. Like many other Camponotus, they love sugars. You can offer this in the outside world in the form of sugar water, sugar jelly or sugar cubes. Although these ants are quite large, we still recommend caution near larger liquid bodies and feeders. We strongly recommend adding cotton to prevent the workers from swirling around in the liquid.
In terms of protein sources, any form should work. From fruit flies to dubias or red runners, any form of insect should be more than suitable. We mainly feed them red runners, as we can easily reach them and they leave little mess for us to clean up. For smaller colonies, we recommend a size 1 or 2 to make sure it gets into the nest.
Temperature
For best growth, we recommend keeping these ants warm. Somewhere between 25 and 28°C. This means you can buy a heat mat on a low setting or a heat cable to warm your colony. At room temperature they will do fine, but they won't grow as fast.
Humidity
Taiwan, where these ants originally come from, is in an area with intense rainfall, monsoons and a strong maritime climate. With lots of rain every month, we can only assume that Camponotus habereri likes a moist nest. However, most Camponotus colonies do not like a lot of moisture in their ants. We never water the nests of our Camponotus colonies. Especially not when there are more workers. Future experience will tell us whether these ants like moisture.
Nest
Foundation phase: For the foundation phase, we recommend a simple test tube with acrylic insert. This is a very successful way to establish a colony.
After the first workers have arrived, you can provide the colony with a mini outside world to give them their first source of protein and provide the colony with extra sugars.
Small colony: After the colony fills the test tube with workers, you have a lot of options to choose from. Based on our comparison with Camponotus nicobarensis, we can assume that these ants are able to nest in any material, making them ideal to keep because you have a free choice. At Esthetic Ants, we will probably move them to a wooden nest with moisture chamber to see if these ants like a little moisture in their nest.
Large colony: 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 they are likely to chew on the ytong over time.
Outside world
These ants benefit greatly from a slightly larger outside world to encourage more foraging behaviour. Esthetic Ants' outside world is perfect for these ants.
Progression/Growth
Although there is no information available on the growth rate of this colony, by seeing how they are currently developing, we can assume that they are growing quite rapidly and that you can count on a few 100 individuals in the first year to more than 1,000 in subsequent years.
Bekijk deze video over Camponotus habereri
Sources https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/taiwan#google_vignette https://guatemala.inaturalist.org/photos/300053095 https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Camponotus_habereri https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Camponotus_nicobarenss The Taiwan’s Climate in 2021 Central Weather Bureau, Taiwan.
Please note that this blog post is a work in progress and we hope to add more information as soon as more information becomes available. If you would like to help, please email us at info@eshteticants.com