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Species & care sheets

Hairy-legged Carpenter Ant

Camponotus rufifemur · มดตะลานขาขน

DifficultyModerateHow often it is foundพบได้ยากDefencesDefensive

A Javan carpenter ant with reddish-brown legs contrasting against a dark body. Nocturnal and calm-tempered, it's a popular pick in the ant-keeping market for its striking coloration.

อยู่ในสกุลย่อย Tanaemyrmex

Overview

Temperature

24-28°C

Humidity

50-70%

Diet

Sugar · Insects

Nest type

Ytong / Acrylic / Wood

Growth

Medium

Colony size

1,000-3,000 ตัว

Difficulty — เป็นมดขนาดใหญ่ที่อดทน เลี้ยงง่าย แต่ต้องใช้เวลาเติบโตและต้องการพื้นที่ขนาดใหญ่เมื่อรังขยาย
Colony size — รังที่เจริญเติบโตเต็มที่อาจมีประชากรถึงประมาณ 5,000 ตัว
How often it is found — มีข้อมูลบันทึกพบค่อนข้างน้อย ไม่ใช่มดที่เจอกันบ่อยๆ — มีวางขายในตลาดนักเลี้ยงมดต่างประเทศ (มีสต๊อกจริง) · Records in Thailand 2 · Records worldwide 47 · Hobbyist market: Sold abroad

Derived from record counts in global databases (GBIF · AntWeb · iNaturalist), not from how common the ant is in Thailand. — น่าเชื่อถือสูง — มีบันทึกพิกัด/ตัวอย่างในไทยจริง (GBIF/AntWeb)

What it eats

SugarsProteinSeedsFungus

Care sheet in progressData confidence: ปานกลาง

Size

Body length by caste, and the ants drawn to scale on a credit card

Queen

15-18 mm

Major

11-15 mm

Worker

6-10 mm

Actual size against a credit card

Ants are drawn to scale on a standard card (85.6 × 54 mm) — hold a real card against the screen and move the slider until the card matches, and the ants are then life-size.

ANTVERSE

Scale card · 85.6 × 54 mm

Worker
~8 mm

Major
~13 mm

Queen
~16.5 mm

Calibrate card width324 px

Behaviour & care

Defences

Defensive

Bites or stings when disturbed — mind the nest when opening it.

Bites

Sprays formic acid

Colony profile

Queens

Single queen (monogyne)

Founding

Claustral

Diapause

Not required

Growth

Medium

In depth

โคนขาสีแดงส้มสะดุดตาเป็นที่มาของชื่อสายพันธุ์ 'rufifemur' ซึ่งช่วยให้จำแนกออกจากมดตะลานชนิดอื่นได้ง่าย

Appearance

A large polymorphic carpenter ant species. Major workers possess distinct heart-shaped heads and powerful mandibles. Their most striking feature is the bright reddish-orange femurs that contrast sharply with their dark brown to black bodies.

Where it lives

Distributed across Southeast Asia, including Thailand. They typically nest in decaying wood, tree hollows, or in soil near the bases of large trees in tropical rainforests.

Found in

Southeast Asia

Behaviour

Active during both day and night, showing defensive behaviors when threatened. Majors use their powerful mandibles and can spray formic acid against intruders. Workers display well-coordinated foraging behavior.

Keeping it

Can be housed in Ytong, acrylic, or wooden nests. Maintain temperature at 24-28°C and humidity at 60-80%. Diet should consist of sugary liquids paired with insect proteins such as crickets or mealworms.

Nest type

YtongAcrylicWood

Where the difficulty is

The founding stage is relatively slow and requires patience. As the colony grows large, they need a spacious outworld and secure anti-escape barriers.

Fun fact

The species name 'rufifemur' comes from Latin, combining 'rufi' (red) and 'femur' (thigh/femur), literally translating to 'red-thighed'.

Gallery

Live photographs are by iNaturalist observers under CC BY-NC — every one carries its credit.

Sources

AntWiki: Camponotus rufifemur

The Thai text is written from the facts in these sources, not copied from them. · Data confidence: ปานกลาง

This page is husbandry information only — live ants aren't sold on the site, for the animals' safety in transit.