Camponotus grandidieri
| Latin Name: |  |
Camponotus grandidieri |
| Trivialname: |  |
- |
| Taxonomy: |  |
Subfamily: Formicinae Tribe: Camponotini |
| Keeping Level: |  |
(1) suitable for beginners |
| Distribution: |  |
Southern Africa |
| Habitate: |  |
Steppes and semi-deserts but also coastal forests, tropical dry forests. |
| Colonyform: |  |
monogynous |
| Queen: |  |
Size: ca. 12-13mm Color: black, black silver shimmering gaster |
| Worker: |  |
Size: 4-11 mm Color: black, black silver shimmering gaster |
| Soldier: |  |
not present |
| Males: |  |
Size: 7mm Colour: black |
| Nutrion: |  |
Cricket jam, blanched crickets, honeydew, honey solution, sugar solution, insects e.g. pair-winged insects such as flies, mosquitoes |
| Airhumidity: |  |
Arena: 30 - 50% Nestpart: 50 - 60% |
| Temperature: |  |
Arena: 20- 32°C Nestpart: 22- 26°C |
| Hibernation: |  |
no |
| Nestform: |  |
In dead wood or under stones |
| Kind of Formicaria: |  |
Ant farm + ant arena |
| Formicaria size: |  |
Size: L |
| Substrate: |  |
Farm: Cork/ Gypsum/ Ytong Arena: Sand, Loam |
| Planting: |  |
Since this species occurs in a wide variety of habitats, the planting is quite flexible |
| Decoration: |  |
Branches, roots, stones, leaves |
| Description: |  |
Camponotus grandidieri is a very beautiful Camponotus species from southern Africa. It is well recognizable by its black coloration and the characteristic silver shimmering hairs on the gaster. It is distributed in different habitats. Besides savannahs it can also be found in tropical dry forests, coastal forests, mangrove forests and even in human populated areas. Most of the time their nests are found in dead wood, rotten tree trunks or between stones under the foliage layer of the forest. Their colonies reach a maximum of 15,000 individuals. |
| Development: |  |
nuptialflight: between November and January founding: claustral (without feeding) colonysize: a few thousand to a maximum of ~ 15,000 individuals |
| Quantity: |  |
a mated queen and workers (see selection); brood (varies according to season and development) |
| Weblinks: |  |
- Reference |
