Camponotus decipiensSpecies Introduction

Species Introduction Claustral. Queens often retain wings after mating and through the foundation process. Native to primarily the southeastern US, although their range does extend west of the Mississippi river somewhat. Nest in small sticks and old beetle burrows in tree canopies. They prefer microhabitats that are bone-dry and bakes in midday sun. Colonies tend to stay under ~500 workers. Specialized, arboreal carpenter ants. They need a dry, warm nest and water in the foraging area. Formicarium Twig-style or thin horizontal nests work well and replicates conditions in their wild nests. The TJL Arboreal Nest is a good choice for these. Very warm. We suggest you aim for a gradient of 80–95°F in the nest. As with most ants, a heated foraging area will induce more activity, but it's not required for their well-being. 3/8" or smaller is ideal. Water & Humidity Dry and warm. There should be no source of moisture inside the nest. Camponotus decipiens nest in small sticks in the canopy that are relatively devoid of moisture and get extremely hot in the mid-day sun. Do not found or keep colonies in test tubes using TrapJaw Lab's PVA sponges. The high humidity is not good for them, they need it dry. These ants do best with a liquid feeder stocked with water in the foraging area. In the wild, they get most of their water by consuming the morning dew, and are adapted for having regular access to water despite keeping a dry nest. Carbohydrates Ample access to carbohydrates (sugars) is extremely important for C. decipiens. Like all Camponotus, they have Blochmania bacteria that enable them to get additional nutrition from carbohydrates. We suggest using our honeydew honey, which best replicates the micronutrient profile of their carbohydrate sources in the wild. We also suggest having a liquid feeder in the foraging area that you keep stocked 24/7 with water, and a sugar-water feeder is also acceptable. Protein C. decipiens do not need a lot of protein because of their Blochmannia gut-bacteria, but it is still required. Offer a small quantity of soft-bodied, pre-killed insects (fruit flies, etc.) once a week depending on how your colony reacts. TrapJaw Labs feeds our C. decipiens colonies with pre-killed Drosophila melanogaster and D. hydei fruit flies. Once per week Maintenance Weeks 1-3: Dry, dark, hot, undisturbed. Weeks 4–6: First workers ('nanitics') appear. Put out a stocked sugar feeder; offer a small protein item (one fruit fly) about once a week. Population will climb slowly. Months 2+: First majors start to appear. Maintain heat and dry nest. Diapause is required unless from southern populations. All TJL colonies are from non-diapausing populations. Care Summary DRY nest Liquid feeder with WATER in outworld (their drinking source) Separate sugar feeder with honeydew honey 24/7 Hot gradient 80–95°F Soft-bodied protein Every day: Check liquid feeders are full Once per week: Offer pre-killed protein, clear leftovers within 24h