Camponotus castaneus — Chestnut Carpenter Ant
A large, striking chestnut-red carpenter ant. A lone queen flies in, sheds her wings, and founds the colony claustrally — sealed away, living on her own body reserves until her first workers emerge.
| Mature colony size | ~600 workers |
| Queen lifespan | 5 yr |
| First clutch | 6–14 eggs |
| Comfortable temperature | 10–34 °C |
| Habitat (modelled on) | Ocala National Forest, FL |
| Nest substrate | wood |
| Foraging style | tandem recruitment |
| Diet | honeydew, insects |
| Workers | polymorphic (minor / media / major soldiers) |
| Defence | relatively timid |
| Shedding wings | 1 h–8 h |
| Digging in | 8 h–1.3 d |
| First eggs | 2 d–5 d |
| Tending brood | 6 wk–10 wk |
| First workers | 2 d–5 d |
Further reading: AntWiki: Camponotus castaneus