Camponotus Cruentatus

Camponotus cruentatus are one of the largest ants in Europe. Unlike Camponotus ligniperda, these giant ants are quite aggressive and will fiercely defend their nest. The queen has clear orange-red segments on her abdomen, this orange color is also clearly visible in the workers. In nature they can often be found in dead wood or under stones and almost always in forest areas. It is a southern European species that does well in warm temperatures. Additional heating with a heating mat is therefore recommended. Easy to keep in one of our self-designed 3D nests, but they are also very satisfied with a sand nest such as our Sand Empire. The queen can live up to 15-18 years. A beautiful, very impressive species to keep.

Details

Dimensions
Queen: 14-16mm
Workers: 6-14 mm (minors and majors present)

Colony composition
Queen: Monogyn, one queen per colony
Colony: up to about 10,000 workers

Temperature
Optimal: 21°C to 28°C
Winter rest: not necessary, possibly around 15°C from late November to early March

Food
Sugar source: for example honey (preferred in our experience), pouring syrup, sugar water, honeydew
Protein source: insects such as fruit flies, crickets, mosquitoes, etc.

Development
The development from egg to ant is highly dependent on temperature. With this species it takes about 8 to 10 weeks:
Egg to larva: 10 to 16 days
Larva to pupa: 10 to 14 days
Pupa to worker: 10 to 24 days

Expected growth (under optimal conditions)
Year 1: 1 to 5 workers
Year 2: 5 to 10 workers
Year 3: 10 to 50 workers
Year 4: 50 to 150 workers
Year 5: 150 to 1000 workers
Maximum: 10,000 workers