Camponotus nicobarensis

Camponotus nicobarensis (Bamboo Sugar Ant)
 
This variety of carpenter ant originates from Asia, particularly China. It's a very colourful species with hues of red, orange and black throughout its body. 
 
Like the queens, workers are typically red/orange and black. This species is amongst the most common exotic species kept as a pet in the ant keeping hobby, predominantly, due to their attractive colouration, very fast colony development and hardy and aggresive nature. 
 
In the wild, nests are often found around the canopy floor of lowland forests in rural regions. Moreover, this is one of the most common species of Southwestern China as often, during sampling methods conducted by scientists, these are found in almost every trap!
 
They are a fast species of ant when agitated and will try bite! However, this ant is suitable for beginners as very hardy and relatively quick growing. Due to the tropical nature of their natural environment, these ants are active throughout the year and do not require hibernation, 
 
It is illegal and strictly frowned upon to release any non-native ants into the wild.