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Canada Ant Colony

Camponotus essigi (Essig's Carpenter Ant)

Camponotus essigi (Essig's Carpenter Ant)

Regular price $73.49 CAD
Regular price $80.99 CAD Sale price $73.49 CAD
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Colony Size

Camponotus essigi or Essig's Carpenter Ant is not the huge carpenter ant that species like the Pennsylvanian Carpenter Ant or the Glacial Carpenter Ant may be, but they’re still a perfect pick. Being medium sized ants, in the wild they will nest in the branches of trees. They forage for dead insects, occasionally hunting some smaller species, and collect sugar water. Despite their small size, they still have the polymorphism of larger Camponotus species, meaning they get small worker ants and large big-headed soldier ants. Due to their size, quaint coloration, and placid attitude, they can easily be described as cute.

Camponotus essigi belong to the Myrmentoma subgenus. With workers ranging from 4 to 10mm, and queens ranging from 10-12mm, they can be hard to identify from related species such as Camponotus hyatti. Main differences include differences in hair and propodeum shape.

This species is an amazing pick for beginners. With faster growing brood and a calmer personality than larger Camponotus, they can be the perfect pick for any keeper who doesn't want to keep larger Camponotus for any reason. Care is simple consisting of sugar water/nectar and insects. They can be kept in nearly any setup including especially wood nests, and generally don't require hibernation.

Scientific Name: Camponotus essigi
Common Name: Essig’s Carpenter Ant
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia | Phylum: Arthropoda | Class: Insecta | Order: Hymenoptera | Family: Formicidae | Subfamily: Formicinae | Genus: Camponotus | Species: C. essigi
Care Difficulty:
Camponotus essigi is a beginner level species.
Distribution: This species can only be found in western North America.
Habitat: A variety of trees including oak, manzanita, and more.
Colony form: Largely monogynous, meaning only one queen in a single colony.
Queen:

Queens of this species reach a size of around 10-12mm.

Worker: Majors will approach 10mm, minors will stay around 4mm, with medias being anywhere in between.
Nutrition: The typical insect and sugar water combination is more than adequate for this species.
Air humidity: Humidity is not a concern at all.
Temperature: Heating will drastically decrease the time from egg to worker, and this species can be heated safely up until 30 Celsius.
Hibernation:

Diapause is normally not required for this species, but if needed should consist of a fridge hibernation for 3-4 months once a year when they stop growing.

Nesting Habits: In the wild they have been observed to nest in tree branches.
Kind of Formicaria:

Nearly any setup will work for them, including Tarheel Ants formicarium, other plaster nests, and acrylic nests. They do excellent in wood nests.

Formicaria size: Colonies do not get large, not getting any larger than 1000 workers. As a result they only require a medium sized nest. 
Description: Camponotus essigi is a very quaint ant. With cute proportions, colors, size, and behavior, they're a perfect fit for anyone wanting a colony without any trouble.
Development:
Colonies will have their nuptial flights during August, September.
Offering quantity: Queen, Queen + 5-10 workers, Queen + 10-25 workers, Queen + 25-50 workers, Queen + 50-100 workers.
Weblinks: https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Camponotus_essigi

 

Photos Courtesy of @nurbsants

Shipping Conditions

This species comes from more tropical areas than Canada, and are not cold-tolerant. Thus, we will not ship them in the winter

Just a warning, we will NOT ship live ants into the US unless the receiver has a permit. If such an order is made, it will be refunded, minus a 10% processing fee and restocking fee

This product is from Canada Ant Colony. The full catalogue, including all variants, can be found at https://canada-ant-colony.com

 

View full details

Camponotus essigi or Essig's Carpenter Ant is not the huge carpenter ant that species like the Pennsylvanian Carpenter Ant or the Glacial Carpenter Ant may be, but they’re still a perfect pick. Being medium sized ants, in the wild they will nest in the branches of trees. They forage for dead insects, occasionally hunting some smaller species, and collect sugar water. Despite their small size, they still have the polymorphism of larger Camponotus species, meaning they get small worker ants and large big-headed soldier ants. Due to their size, quaint coloration, and placid attitude, they can easily be described as cute.

Camponotus essigi belong to the Myrmentoma subgenus. With workers ranging from 4 to 10mm, and queens ranging from 10-12mm, they can be hard to identify from related species such as Camponotus hyatti. Main differences include differences in hair and propodeum shape.

This species is an amazing pick for beginners. With faster growing brood and a calmer personality than larger Camponotus, they can be the perfect pick for any keeper who doesn't want to keep larger Camponotus for any reason. Care is simple consisting of sugar water/nectar and insects. They can be kept in nearly any setup including especially wood nests, and generally don't require hibernation.

Scientific Name: Camponotus essigi
Common Name: Essig’s Carpenter Ant
Taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia | Phylum: Arthropoda | Class: Insecta | Order: Hymenoptera | Family: Formicidae | Subfamily: Formicinae | Genus: Camponotus | Species: C. essigi
Care Difficulty: Camponotus essigi is a beginner level species.
Distribution: This species can only be found in western North America.
Habitat: A variety of trees including oak, manzanita, and more.
Colony form: Largely monogynous, meaning only one queen in a single colony.
Queen:

Queens of this species reach a size of around 10-12mm.

Worker: Majors will approach 10mm, minors will stay around 4mm, with medias being anywhere in between.
Nutrition: The typical insect and sugar water combination is more than adequate for this species.
Air humidity: Humidity is not a concern at all.
Temperature: Heating will drastically decrease the time from egg to worker, and this species can be heated safely up until 30 Celsius.
Hibernation:

Diapause is normally not required for this species, but if needed should consist of a fridge hibernation for 3-4 months once a year when they stop growing.

Nesting Habits: In the wild they have been observed to nest in tree branches.
Kind of Formicaria:

Nearly any setup will work for them, including Tarheel Ants formicarium, other plaster nests, and acrylic nests. They do excellent in wood nests.

Formicaria size: Colonies do not get large, not getting any larger than 1000 workers. As a result they only require a medium sized nest. 
Description: Camponotus essigi is a very quaint ant. With cute proportions, colors, size, and behavior, they're a perfect fit for anyone wanting a colony without any trouble.
Development: Colonies will have their nuptial flights during August, September.
Offering quantity: Queen, Queen + 5-10 workers, Queen + 10-25 workers, Queen + 25-50 workers, Queen + 50-100 workers.
Weblinks: https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Camponotus_essigi

 

Photos Courtesy of @nurbsants

This species comes from more tropical areas than Canada, and are not cold-tolerant. Thus, we will not ship them in the winter

Just a warning, we will NOT ship live ants into the US unless the receiver has a permit. If such an order is made, it will be refunded, minus a 10% processing fee and restocking fee

This product is from Canada Ant Colony. The full catalogue, including all variants, can be found at https://canada-ant-colony.com