Acrobat Ant

Acrobat ants, genus Crematogaster, are a widespread group found on every continent except Antarctica, with numerous species occurring throughout North America. Their common name comes from a striking defensive posture: when disturbed, workers raise their abdomen up and forward over the rest of the body, resembling a tiny acrobat.

These ants typically nest in existing cavities within decaying or damp wood, such as old stumps, dead branches, and rotting logs, rather than excavating their own tunnels through sound timber the way some carpenter ants do. Occasionally, colonies establish satellite nests within the wall voids or structural wood of buildings, particularly in wood that has already been softened by moisture or prior insect damage.

Acrobat ants are ecologically significant as both predators of other small insects and as important tenders of honeydew-producing insects, forming close mutualistic relationships with aphids and scale insects on nearby plants.

• Small workers, about 2.5-4 mm long
• Distinctive heart-shaped or shield-shaped gaster, held raised and pointed forward over the body when alarmed
• Petiole attaches to the top rather than the base of the gaster
• Coloring ranges from solid black or brown to bicolored, with a lighter thorax and darker gaster in some species
• Possesses a stinger
• The upward-tilted abdomen posture reliably separates this genus from most other similarly sized ants

Acrobat ants are found across a wide range of habitats including forests, woodlands, and suburban landscapes throughout North America and beyond. They favor nesting sites in decaying or moisture-damaged wood, such as dead tree limbs, stumps, and landscape mulch, and occasionally extend colonies into damp structural wood in buildings.

These ants are omnivorous, feeding on other small insects as well as sugary substances, and they are prolific tenders of aphids, scale insects, and other honeydew producers, often building shelter tubes of debris and soil over the insects they tend. When disturbed, workers characteristically raise their gaster over the thorax and head in a defensive acrobatic posture, sometimes emitting a faint odor at the same time.

Acrobat ants develop through complete metamorphosis, progressing from egg to larva to pupa to adult. Colonies may be headed by a single queen or, in some species, multiple queens, and can range from several hundred to a few thousand workers. Winged reproductives are produced seasonally and disperse during nuptial flights, typically in warmer months, to establish new colonies.