Camponotus turkestanus – Graceful Giants of the Steppe
Discover the elegance and resilience of Camponotus turkestanus, a stunning carpenter ant species native to Central Asia’s arid landscapes. Renowned for their large size, striking colouration, and calm temperament, these ants make an excellent choice for beginner and experienced ant keepers alike.
Key Features:
Species: Camponotus turkestanus
Origin: Central Asia (steppe and semi-desert regions)
Colony Size: Up to several thousand workers in maturity
Queen Size: ~15–18 mm
Worker Size: 6–12 mm
Temperament: Docile and slow-moving
Colour: Black head and gaster with a reddish thorax (varies slightly by population)
Diet: Sugars (e.g., honey water, sugar water) and protein (insects, jelly)
Care Level:
Easy to moderate. C. turkestanus thrive in dry setups with moderate humidity around the nest. They prefer warm conditions (24–28°C) and show a slow but steady growth rate, allowing for relaxed observation and gradual expansion.
Ideal For:
Keepers who enjoy large, visually impressive ants
Hobbyists seeking a low-aggression species
Those with arid or semi-arid setups
Educational or display colonies due to their size and behaviour
Growth & Development:
This species grows slowly at first, with the queen taking time to establish her first generation. Once the first few workers emerge, growth picks up steadily. Colonies do best with a good balance of protein and sugars, and regular hydration of the nesting area.
Live arrival guarantee:
We guarantee the live arrival of your Queen they come well packed in our jiffy bags which have two-sided padding as well as an additional layer of bubble wrap around our test tubes. We are the only company in the United Kingdom to offer our live arrival guarantee of your queen as well as an additional 14 day guarantee if the colony if kept in the original test tube for all our European species. Why do we do this? We are confident with our colony’s health and our packaging process as well as our care guides, we also believe in our customers and making sure they have a good ant keeping experience.
Live arrival guarantee we ensure the live arrival of the queen only upon delivery contact us within 24 hours of receiving the Queen dead on arrival with a picture of the dead queen and the original workers. DO NOT TRANSFER THE DEAD QUEEN OR WORKERS TO A NEST AS THIS VOIDS YOUR WARRANTY. For our additional 14-day guarantee for European species the Queen and workers must be kept in the original test tube sealed with the cotton and care sheet instructions followed if you want to keep this additional guarantee do not transfer to a nest or your warranty is VOIDED (we recommend you keep the 14-day warranty).
We have no control over the environment outside the test tube and have no influence in the conditions the responsibility once placed outside the test tube within the 14-day period the responsibility is with the buyer. 9 times out of 10 colonies die in the nest due to lack of water access, food, temperature, oxygen or stress due to vibrations or exposure to excess light. If your colony does fail inside a nest contact us, we can advise what went wrong but it is up to you to buy another ant colony, you will succeed but sometimes it does not work the first time. Research is key to success with ant keeping and follow our guides.
