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Acrobat ant (Crematogaster ashmeadi) Profile view of ant Crematogaster ashmeadi Photograph by April Nobile © AntWeb.org / CC-BY-SA-3.0. (view image details)  Dorsal view of ant Crematogaster ashmeadi Photograph by April Nobile © AntWeb.org / CC-BY-SA-3.0. (view image details)  Head view of ant Crematogaster ashmeadi Photograph by April Nobile © AntWeb.org / CC-BY-SA-3.0. (view image details) ACROBAT ANT FACTSDescriptionCrematogaster ashmeadi is an arboreal ant that gets its common name of Acrobat ant from the worker ant's ability of holding its abdomen above the rest of the body. It is a small shiny brown or black ant about three millimetres in length. It lives in trees, where it occupies tunnels in dead wood and the bark of living trees that have been made by caterpillars or other insects, such as beetles or termites. The ants can inhabit the same tree for decades building up layers of tunnels on the tree trunk. A mature colony can contain tens of thousands on ants. In some forest such as Florida pine forests they are a dominant species, and an important food source for the red cockaded woodpecker. They are not a major pest in houses, but they can make their nest in decaying wood around houses. They are not often found indoors. Other Names Arboreal ant Size about 3mm Environment this species is an Arboreal ant and inhabits trees in forests and woodland including Florida pine forests. It spends most of its time above the ground where it nests and feeds. Food feeds on flower nectar, honeydew from aphids and carrion Breeding when a female arboreal ant mates, it starts a new colony in an abandoned insect tunnel where she lays the eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae which are fed and pupate to become new generation of ants. A queen can lay a few hundred eggs a day in the peak of the season. Range Crematogaster ashmeadi is found in south east of the United States including Florida to Mississippi and north to Missouri Classification
Relatives in same Genus Valentine ant (C. laeviuscula) |
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