Camponotus auriventris

[Quah]

Camponotus auriventris is a medium size black Camponotus species. This is species is common here in Malaysia.

I collected a few dealated gyne during a huge nuptial swarming in late April (21st April to be precise). Thousands of ant alates from several species took to the night sky converging at all the brightly lit areas of my apartment block and the various shophouses. In the city because of the numerous night light sources ants and termites nuptial are very dispersed. If this were to happen in the country side, you would have to switch of all lights during such time otherwise your residence with be flooded with thousands of these alates.

The most abundant of these was a small Camponotus species followed by the endemic Solenopsis geminata. Aside from these there were
1. Several species from the Camponotus genus.
2. A couple of Polyrhachis species.
3. A small Pheidole speices.
4. Anoplolepic.
5. Paratrechina.
6. Odontoponera.
7. Odontomachus.
8. Several species of unidentified small ants
9. Some males of Diacamma.
10. Alates of Microtermes and Coptotermes.

Slightly over a month from the nuptial my Camponotus auriventris nest has it first brood of three minor workers.

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[Quah]

Here is the nest at 34 days old, seen here is the gyne with two of her three minor workers. This species has a slight metallic golden sheen similar to many species of the Polyrhachis genus.

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[Quah]

The nest now has seven workers (all minor).

[Quah]

The nest now have 9 workers. I have initiated nest relocation last night and if all goes well the nest should be shifted by next week to the transparent plastic container I use for most of my ants (currently at over 30 nests. I don't keep count as they come - collected from alates, and go - release back into the wild at a different locations esp. in areas where the species is depleted by development).

Because of the transparent nature of the container some species takes abit of coaxing.

[Quah]

The 11th worker eclosed last night. The ants have yet to relocate their nest.

[Quah]

Here is a photo of the nest before they moved last night.

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[Quah]

The nest now finally settled into the new container.

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[Quah]

With 15 workers now there is still no sign of a major worker in development.

[Quah]

Over 25 workers but all still minor workers. Not major workers in development (larva or pupa stage) yet.

[Quah]

Almost two months since the nest was founded the first major worker is developing. The larva pupated yesterday.

[Quah]

Two major workers in pupa stage.

[Quah]

The majors eclosed two weeks ago and they are the smallest by far. Haven't been able to provide them with sufficient protein. Hope next weekend to be able to release several nest that I have keep for two months back into the wild.

[Quah]

Camponotus auriventris is one of the more easy ants to keep and maintain. But growing the nest to maturity requires more high protein feed with arthropods and other small creatures. Since late July I have been too busy doing off days (when I am not working) to go hunt for these. So this nest too like the Pheidologeton nest I am keeping have not increase in growth.