Camponotus aethiops

Camponotus aethiops is a shinny black colored heat loving Camponotus species that nests preferably in stony areas. This species is also polymorph with minor- and major workers with different shape and size.

• Taxonomy: Formicinae
• Distribution: Central- and South Europe
• Farbe: shinny black
• Size: 7 - 13 mm
• Characteristics: Major- and Minor workers, monogyne
• Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects and other small animals
• Temperatur: hot
• Humidity: dry
• Hibernation: Yes
• Nest building: In soil or sand
• Soil condition: sand or stony soil

Camponotus barbaricus

• Taxonomy: Formicinae
• Color: black with red-brown thorax
• Distribution: South Europe
• Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects
• Hibernation: Yes (slight)
• Temperature: 20 - 30 °C
• Nest building: Build their nest under stones or in soil
• Planting: mediteranian
• Class: easy
• Specifics: Has Minor- and Major workers. Very fortified aggressive ant species. A radiant heating should heat a stone or an angle of the formicarium in the daytime.

Camponotus herculeanus

Camponotus herculeanus is one of the biggest european ant species. Can be mostly found in highlands and they build theire nests in wood (coniferous wood)

• Taxonomy: Formicinae
• Color: black with dark brown thorax
• Distribution: Central Europe
• Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects
• Hibernation: Yes
• Nest building: Build their nest in wood with greater underground areas
• Planting: Similary to the forest or mountains with branches, roots, moos
• Class: easy
• Specifics: Has Minor- and Major workers. Very fortified; could with one bite decapitate formica-ants. They attack humans only by nest disruption. Shows activity by day and night (diurnal and nocturnal). They build nests preferably in wood or under stones. A radiant heating should heat a stone or an angle of the formicarium in the daytime.

Camponotus lateralis

This is a small Camponotus species which can be found in Southern Europe in arid and shady regions, mostly in soil under stones or in rotten wood. A very specific character of this species is that larger worker acts as "honeypot".

• Taxonomy: Subfamily Formicinae, Tribe Camponotini
• Distribution: Southern Europe
• Color: red brown with dark brown gaster
• Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects
• Hibernation: Yes
• Climate: Mediteranian (dry)
• Nest building: Often soil nests under stones, but also rotten wood
• Planting: nothing specific
• Difficulty: easy

 

Camponotus ligniperda

Camponotus ligniperda is one of the biggest european ant species. Prefers sunny and dry slopes and can be found in stony ground as well as in rotten wood. Can be found in low-level as well as in mountains.

• Taxonomy: Formicinae
• Color: black with light red-brown abdomen
• Distribution: Central Europe
• Characteristics: Major- and Minor workers
• Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects
• Hibernation: Yes
• Temperature: 20 - 25 °C
• Nest building: Build their nest under wood with greater underground areas; also only soil nests
• Planting: Similary to the forest or mountains with branches, roots, moos
• Class: easy
• Specifics: Has Minor- and Major workers. Very fortified; could with one bite decapitate formica-ants. They attack humans only by nest disruption. Shows activity by day and night (diurnal and nocturnal). They build nests preferably in wood or under stones. A radiant heating should heat a stone or an angle of the formicarium in the daytime.

Camponotus piceus

Camponotus piceus is a strong polymorph and inoffensive Camponotus species that can be found on dry and warm locations. Smallerst workers are just as large as Lasius niger. This species is suitable for keeping in mediteranean community basin.

• Taxonomy: Formicinae
• Distribution: South Europe
• Characteristics: strong polymorph (smallest workers as large as Lasius niger)
• Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects and other small animals
• Colony size: small
• Hibernation: Yes
• Nest building: In dry soil loam/sand

Camponotus truncatus

Camponotus truncatus (formerly known as Colobopsis) is a tree dweller ant species which can be found in deadwood (rotten branches of trees) and which can be found in warmer regions of Germany or in Mediterranean area. A distinctive feature of this species are the major workers which have a kind of bung shaped head to close the nestentry. Also the Queen has such a shaped head to close nest entry during colony foundation. This species generally avoids confrontation with other ant species, however they are aggressive against strange colonies of the same species.

• Taxonomy: Formicinae
• Distribution: Central- and South Europe
• Size: Major/Minor: 3-6mm, Queen: 6-7mm
• Characteristics: Major- and Minor workers
• Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects
• Colony size: small, up to 500 workers.
• Hibernation: Yes
• Nest building: In deadwood, founding also in stems of certain plants
• Specifics: There are Major- and Minor workers whereby major workers have a kind of bung shaped head to close nest entry.

Camponotus vagus

Camponotus vagus is a black, haired, strong and aggressive Camponotus species that can be found mainly in deadwood. This species is polymorph with size difference of up to 1 cm. This species can be found in clear forest, preferably pine forests.

• Taxonomy: Formicinae
• Distribution: Central- and South Europe
• Size: 6 - 16 mm
• Characteristics: Major- and Minor workers
• Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects and other small animals
• Colony size: large
• Hibernation: Yes
• Nest building: In deadwood, under stones
• Specifics: There are Major- and Minor workers
• Soil condition: forest floor

Cataglyphis hispanicus

Very fortified aggressive ant species with good sight. It is a long-legged and fast moving ant species. They almost can't climb glass panes.

• Taxonomy: Formicinae
• Color: black, graying
• Characteristics: strong polymorph
• Size: 5 - 14 mm
• Distribution: Iberian peninsula
• Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects
• Hibernation: Yes (slight)
• Temperature: 20 - 35 °C (summer, outside the nest)
• Nest building: Build their nest deep in soil, creates calderas
• Planting: steppe like
• Class: medium

Cataglyphis nodus

This is the largest Cataglyphis throughout Europe which is distributed from Asia minor to Central Europe.

• Taxonomy: Formicinae
• Distribution: Asia minor, Southern to Central Europe
• Color: red with black abdomen
• Characteristics: monogyne, polymorph
• Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects and other small animals
• Hibernation: Yes (slight)
• Temperature: 20 - 35 °C (summer, outside the nest)
• Nest building: Build their nest deep in soil, creates calderas, also under stones
• Planting: steppe like
  

Cataglyphis velox

Very fortified aggressive ant species with good sight. It is a long-legged and fast moving ant species. They almost can't climb glass panes.

• Taxonomy: Formicinae
• Distribution: Southern Europe (mountain range)
• Color: red with black abdomen
• Characteristics: strong polymorph
• Size: Workers: 4 - 13 mm, Queen: 11 - 13 mm
• Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects
• Hibernation: Yes (slight)
• Temperature: 20 - 35 °C (summer, outside the nest)
• Nest building: Build their nest deep in soil, creates calderas, also under stones
• Planting: steppe like
• Class: medium

Cataglyphis viaticus

The kinds of the type Cataglyphis are exclusively ground inhabitants. In adaptation to their way of life as a ground hunter they have nearly lost the ability to climb up at plain surfaces like panes of glass. They do this only under the greatest efforts and undertake such excursion only at food storage, at concerns or lack of space. As an inhabitant of subtropic areas this ant needs a rest, like the hibernation of local kinds. A cool down of the terrarium on 15 to 18 degrees for 1 to 2 months in the winter is enough to interrupt the brood activity and to give the colony time to regenerate. Also offer enough fodder in the form of carbohydrates now.

• Taxonomy: Subfamily Formicinae, Tribe Formicini
• Distribution: Mediterranean countries, north africa
• Characteristics: polymorph
• Appearence of the queen: head and thorax matt red, abdomen matt black, bottom side of the abdomen shiny black, very long legs
• Appearance of the workers: Head and thorax matt red, abdomen matt black, bottom side of the abdomen shiny black, very long legs
• Size: Queen about 16 mm, Workers: 6 - 16 mm
• Breed-time: fast (4 - 6 weeks)
• Nest building: soil nests
• Nutrition: living insects self-hunted, also fresh-dead insects and other invertebrates, honey- and sugar water, always fresh water in a drank. (The kind is not excessively demanding, but needs, sufficient care and constant supplies of animal protein during the summer period)
• Temperature: warm (25 - 30 °C), in the deeper nest area there should be cooler areas.
• Air humidity: in the deeper nest area there should be areas with higher air humidity. besides dry, occasional spraying of the runout area with water.
• Number of basins: 1 basin is adequate, but with a base as lage as possible.
• Dimensions of basin: at least 40 x 30 x 30 cm (depending of colony-size), with a possibility to clean up the nest
• Soil conditions: sand, loam, stones. Design the fittings from steppes to dessert-like, some dry branches increase the runout surface.
• Planting: Plantation with mediterranean plants is advantageous. Hydrocultures with havy little stones are advisable, because for the big and strong ants it is impossible then to put on twig nests in the damp root area.
• Accessories: an infrared heating lamp for heating the nest. Terrarium lighting with clock timer. 
• Keeping level: middle

Crematogaster scutellaris

This is a beautiful colored red-black colored ants species of Southern Europe. This species often forage on long street to their feeding lots. On excitement they raises the gaster upwards similar to a scorpion to defend their attackers with their defense secretion.

• Taxonomy: Subfamily Myrmicinae
• Distribution: Southern Europe
• Color: shiny black with red head
• Size: Queen 7 -9 mm
• Nest building: Nests in death wood of trees.
• Nutrition: Honeywater, insects
• Soil condition: any, wood nests
• Level: easy