Camponotus sansabeanus (Orange Striped Carpenter Ant) Care Sheet

What is Camponotus sansabeanus?

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Camponotus sansabeanus is a large, boldly bicolored carpenter ant from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Queens are about 15 mm, minor workers 5 to 8mm, and majors anywhere from 7 up to 15mm. Their coloration and growth are the reasons people want them, and the majors in a grown colony are really impressive!

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Unlike the eastern carpenter ants most keepers start with, this is a ground-nesting species rather than a dead wood specialist, which could change their nest selection. 

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They grow at a moderate to quick pace for a Camponotus.

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You can find Camponotus sansabeanus for sale in the US here.

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How to identify Camponotus sansabeanus

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Bicolored, with an orange-reddish mesosoma with a darker head and gaster. The worker caste is polymorphic, ranging from small minors through medias to large-headed majors, and the size spread is wide enough that a minor and a major from the same nest can look like different species at a glance.

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Be careful with online descriptions of this ant. Some of the species databases currently ranking for it describe sansabeanus workers as uniformly black or dark brown, which are probably referring to weird western populations, if they have any merit. This species tends to be smaller or a bit more compact than C. semitestaceus or C. vicinus, but they're all rather variable.

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The name problem, and why our stock is from the right place

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Camponotus sansabeanus was described by Samuel Buckley in 1866 from type material collected in Burnet County and San Saba County, Texas. The name comes from the San Saba area itself.

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In the western part of its range, sansabeanus can be difficult to separate from Camponotus vicinus and Camponotus semitestaceus. The three have been tangled together in the literature for over a century.

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Our stock is from Texas, the state the species was described from, at the eastern end of the range where that confusion largely doesn't apply.

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Where is Camponotus sansabeanus found?

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Across the southwestern United States and into northern Mexico, with records east into Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana. They nest in the ground rather than in wood, which is unusual for a carpenter ant and worth remembering when you set them up. Interestingly, a new range extension happened just this last year! A small population of this species was located on south-facing cliffs just barely reaching into Southern Illinois. The population probably survives there due to the open, droughty-like (prairie) conditions of the site. They were probably more common in the area previously, but most of that habitat has closed up into forest. 

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We can legally ship this species to Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

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Is Camponotus sansabeanus good for beginners?

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Yes, certainly, especially if you have a decent patience level. The beginning of the colony can be a little slow, but with good feeding and warmth, this species grows faster than most. Just don't put them in any crazy nests, keep it simple.

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Founding and the queen

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Camponotus sansabeanus queens are fully claustral. She raises the first workers entirely from her own reserves, so she needs nothing from you except a dark test tube with a water supply. Don't feed her, don't open the tube until she has workers hatched.

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If she's looking very thin once there are pupae, a single small drop of liquid sugar won't hurt, but it isn't recommended and it usually isn't necessary.

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This species tends to be monogynous (one queen per colony), so combining queens is not advised.

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Growth rate and colony size

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Brood development runs 7 to 9 weeks, usually right around 8 when they're heated and fed properly. That's a long cycle, and it's the thing new keepers misread as failure.

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A well-kept colony can reach dozens of workers, and sometimes over a hundred, within the first few months to a year. For a Camponotus this size, that's quick.​

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Like most Camponotus, they tend to lay in batches rather than a steady trickle, so growth comes in waves. Long slow stretch, then a dozen workers at once (more than that as the colony grows, each generation should be bigger). 

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Temperature and humidity

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Give them a gradient, with the warm end around 81 to 84°F and a slightly cooler area (77ish) available.

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At least one major vendor recommends heating this species to 85 to 90°F, on the reasoning that they can be treated like harvester ants. I don't keep them that hot, and I'd advise against it. Though they might do well in some areas of the nest at that temperature (incubating pupae, perhaps), that's pretty warm for the rest of the colony (eggs are especially vulnerable). That could be a good temperature to have in the corner of the nest, where the workers can pile pupae to grow faster if they prefer. Camponotus need a cooler area to stay healthy, so it's important you provide one.

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The general rule stands: a proper gradient matters more than any single number, because it lets the colony decide. If they're crowded at the cool end, cool down the heat.

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In a test tube, heat only the front, never near the water reservoir. Heating the reservoir can flood the tube and removes the gradient. The side near the water reservoir should be the cool side.

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For humidity, keep one part of the nest properly humid and another noticeably drier. Whatever nest you use as the colony grows, keep a test tube attached or sitting in the outworld as a backup. If you ever find the whole colony piled into it, the nest has dried out, and you've avoided losing your colony to dehydration. 

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Do Camponotus sansabeanus need hibernation?

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Usually, but probably less than usual with our Texas stock.

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This species usually needs a short diapause at some point. If you notice they aren't growing, perhaps have tiny larvae, and raising the temperature (plus feeding more) doesn't encourage them to grow, it's probably time for a diapause. 

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This species doesn't need a long diapause, however. Where our stock is from, it's not usually very cold for long stretches. 1-2 months (maybe less) at 41F should totally do the trick. Make sure they're fed and have water during diapause.

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Never let them get near freezing.

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Choosing a nest

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They're ground nesters in the wild, not dead wood specialists, so dry nests aren't a good idea. Ultracal/hydrostone nests with ample moisture elements are great for them.

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Don't move them into a nest they can't fill at least half to two-thirds of. A colony spread thin turns the empty chambers into a garbage dump, and cleaning that out later means disturbing them. Grow them in the tube longer than you think you need to. 

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Majors in this species get big, with big heads, so plan the connection tubing accordingly.

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Feeding Camponotus sansabeanus

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Liquid sugars are the norm. Sugarwater, honeywater, or Sunburst, always available. A colony where every worker is flat-gastered is a colony that isn't growing!

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For protein, they're not picky, especially as the colony grows. Mealworms, crickets, roaches, and fruit flies all get taken, and any pre-killed insect will do. Fruit flies are the safe default for young colonies, and a favorite. Roaches are a close second favorite. The least-appealing protein for this species is probably mealworms.

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Feed often rather than heavily. Small amounts most days beats a big pile twice a week. Match the protein to the size of the larvae pile, and scale by watching what is actually eaten. If you want growth, overfeeding beats underfeeding. Feed as much as they'll take, then a bit more. As long as you're cleaning out uneaten food, this is the way to grow ants, quick. Most keepers aren't growing their colony as fast as they can be!

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Judge them by their gasters. Plump and inflated means well fed on sugars, flat and skinny means they need food. I keep at least 60-70% of the colony plump, while leaving some with space in their stomachs so they still have an appetite for other foods.

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Remove uneaten protein within 16 to 24 hours, or you're inviting mold and mites.

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Never feed wild-caught or house-caught insects. Pesticide residue kills colonies, and it's never fun.

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One Camponotus reminder: they spray formic acid when subduing prey. Nearly harmless to you, but not harmless to them if it is left unsoaked in a sealed space. Give them an outworld with an absorbent floor rather than plain plastic (a thin hydrostone/plaster/ultracal floor takes a few minutes to make, a few hours to cure, and is well worth it), and if they're still in the test tube, give them a pinch or two of sterile sand.

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Quick summary

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Heat to 81 to 84°F at the warm end with a small gradient reserving a cooler section of the nest, as well. Keep sugars available almost constantly, feed protein often, and be patient through a 7-8-week brood cycle. Diapause when they're ready. Do that and you'll have one of the best-looking colonies in the hobby! This species is really impressive!

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Common questions

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What temperature do Camponotus sansabeanus need? A gradient with the warm end around 81 to 84°F and a cooler area available. Some sources recommend 85 to 90°F for this species; that's hotter than I'd keep them, and with Camponotus the cost of too much heat is slow growth rather than obvious harm, so I'd say err on the side of caution.

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Do Camponotus sansabeanus need hibernation? Usually, a short one. They may want a short rest of one, maybe two months in the cold. Our stock is from Texas, so a short diapause tends to do. Some sources say to drop them just below room temperature. I say if you're going to diapause, do it thoroughly, as its better for the long-term health of the ants (plus metabolism at 41F, which I recommend, is much slower than 65F, sparing the ants energy). 5 weeks at 41F can usually do it.

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How fast do Camponotus sansabeanus grow? Brood development takes 7 to 9 weeks, usually about 8. Colonies can reach dozens and sometimes over a hundred workers within the first year, which is quick for a Camponotus this size.

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Is Camponotus sansabeanus the same as Camponotus vicinus? No, but they're confusable, especially in the western part of the range. C. vicinus tends to be longer and thinner, but both species are rather variable.

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How big do Camponotus sansabeanus get? Queens 15ish mm, minor workers 5 to 8mm, and majors from 7 up to 15mm.

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Do Camponotus sansabeanus sting? No. Like all Camponotus they have no sting. They bite, and they can spray formic acid, neither of which is a concern for a keeper.

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What do Camponotus sansabeanus eat? Liquid sugars constantly, plus any pre-killed insect protein. Crickets, roaches, and fruit flies all work.

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References

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Buckley, S.B. (1866). Descriptions of new species of North American Formicidae. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia 6: 152-172.​

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Related: Camponotus castaneus care · All care sheets

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If you want specific help from other antkeepers, join the Stateside Ants Discord.

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To buy this species from us, see the product page.