Care Sheet for Camponotus quercicola 6/20/2018

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     Recently, I wrote up a care sheet for one of my favorite ants in my collection, Camponotus quercicola. This is useful for providing information to friends, people who purchase a colony from me, and people I might trade them with. I thought I would post it in case anyone would like to see what it is like to care for a colony of ants.

Scientific Name:  Camponotus quercicola

Common Name: None

Distribution:  Endemic to California

Queen size:  16-19mm

Worker size:  7-16mm

Natural Habitat:  Oak trees native to CA

Circadian Activity:  Primarily nocturnal

Mating Flight:  First heatwave of spring, typically in March or April. Can be found later on in less abundance. All queens collected at night on live oak trees, in areas where nests have been found.
There is a complete list of all species in the Ant Mating Chart: http://www.formicult...t-mating-chart/

Queen Founding Method:  Fully Claustral

Monogyne or Polygyne:  Unknown, quite likely monogyne.

Average time from egg to worker:  Egg to Larvae = 12-21 days; Larvae to pupae = 7-16 days, Pupae to worker = 16-24 days. All times are approximate, and may vary depending on conditions. Heating queens and colonies accelerates development by almost 2x.

Recommended Temperature:  Active months: 85 degrees Fahrenheit/30 Celsius. Hibernate at 55 degrees Fahrenheit/13 Celsius.

Recommended Humidity:  Varies depending on area caught. Try to replicate humidity in location captured.

Preferred Foods:  Hummingbird nectar mixed with sugar and honey, mealworms, crickets, fruit flies, rotisserie chicken. Will probably accept other common foods as well, but I have not yet tried any more.

Hibernation Details:  These ants require hibernation in most locations. Hibernate at 55 degrees Fahrenheit/ 13 degrees Celsius for 3-5 months. In colder reigons, lean towards longer diapause, while in warmer reigons, less time is required. Without adequate hibernation, queens may not lay in their second year.

Escape Barrier Methods:  Baby powder/rubbing alcohol, or fluon.

Difficulty rating:  Moderate: requires some heat for optimal growth, and needs adequate hibernation to lay in their second year.

Bite and/or Sting rating:  Majors and queens can bite and may dab formic acid in the wound, which induces a localized, temporary stinging sensation. Bites are rare, as this species is typically very calm and docile towards humans.

Special Care or Interesting Notes:  These do MUCH better with oak bark in their outworld and/or nest. They also absolutely require hibernation.

Additional Links:
AntWiki: http://www.antwiki.o...otus_quercicola
AntWeb:
https://www.antweb.o...name=quercicola

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