Camponotus cruentatus

ItalianTermiteMan

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 23, 2023
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146
No termites this time (surprisingly), just sharing a pair of quick pics of my young colony of Camponotus cruentatus. Due to its large size (with majors workers measuring around 16 mm in mature colonies) and attractive coloration i find this to be one of the nices European ants.



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The main brood chamber, containing most of the eggs, larvae and pupae (this species pupates inside a cocoon just like most Formicinae). The queen is at the top-right.


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Minor, median and a single major workers of C. crunetatus; the major is actually the very first my colony ever produced (thus being rather smalle and scrawny), and as now still the only one. Queens, median workers and major workers of this species sport a beautiful brick reddish coloration on their first tergites, but my bad photographing skills and equipment definitely can't do justice to it! The hairs on all castes also gives off a faint, nice silvery sheen when wiewed in the sun.


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Butchering the day's catch!
 
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