# Bent-Spined Acorn Ant (*temnothorax curvispinosus*) The Bent-Spined Acorn Ant is a tiny creature that loves to live in leaf litter and under stones. These ants work together in big groups to find food and build their homes! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Oak forests and areas with leaf litter - **Also known as:** Acorn Ant, Curved Spine Ant ![Bent-Spined Acorn Ant](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Temnothorax_curvispinosus_casent0104038_profile_1.jpg&width=800) Photo: April Nobile, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Temnothorax_curvispinosus_casent0104038_profile_1.jpg) ## Appearance The Bent-Spined Acorn Ant is a tiny insect, typically yellowish-brown to light brown, measuring only 2-3 millimeters long. It has a distinctive pair of curved spines on its upper back, distinguishing it from many other small ant species. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Hymenoptera - **Family:** Formicidae - **Genus:** Temnothorax ## Interesting facts - A queen ant can live for several years, laying all the eggs for her colony to grow. - These ants are so tiny, they often build their entire colony inside a single hollow acorn! - These ants can share food through a process called trophallaxis, like tiny food-passing friends! - They communicate using special chemical smells, like sending secret messages to each other. ## Special abilities - **Acorn Architects:** Bent-Spined Acorn Ants can nest inside hollow acorns or small twigs, creating snug homes that protect their entire colony. - **Sweet Treat Seekers:** Bent-Spined Acorn Ants can 'farm' aphids for honeydew, a sugary liquid that helps them get essential energy. - **Tiny Trailblazers:** Bent-Spined Acorn Ants can lay chemical scent trails, guiding their nestmates to new food sources or safe paths. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 2-3 mm - **Lifespan:** 60-180 days - **Leg Count:** 6 - **Colony Size:** 200 ## Diet & Feeding These tiny ants are omnivores, eating sugary honeydew from aphids and small insect bits. - **Primary Foods:** honeydew, small insects, fungal spores, plant seeds - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Shelter:** Red Oak (*Quercus rubra*) — often uses hollow acorns for nesting sites - **Depends on:** Melon Aphid (*Aphis gossypii*) — collects sugary honeydew produced by aphids - **Eaten by:** Bold Jumper (*Phidippus audax*) — is preyed upon by various predatory spiders ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Bent-Spined Acorn Ant? Compare the antennae, waist segments, body proportions and size. Workers, queens and males of the same species can look surprisingly different. Ant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How big is Bent-Spined Acorn Ant? 2-3 mm ### How long does Bent-Spined Acorn Ant live? 60-180 days ### What does Bent-Spined Acorn Ant eat? These tiny ants are omnivores, eating sugary honeydew from aphids and small insect bits. ### Where is Bent-Spined Acorn Ant usually found? Oak forests and areas with leaf litter ### How does Bent-Spined Acorn Ant hunt? Foraging ### How many legs does Bent-Spined Acorn Ant have? 6 ### How large are Bent-Spined Acorn Ant colonies? 200 ## Where to spot - [Harriman Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harriman-historic-district) — New Jersey, US · Historic District - [Tom S. Cooperrider-Kent Bog State Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tom-s-cooperrider-kent-bog-state-nature-preserve) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve - [Candler Park Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/candler-park-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Iowa State Fairgrounds](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/iowa-state-fairgrounds) — Iowa, US · Historic District - [Raglan Road Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/raglan-road-park) — Virginia, US · Park [View all places to see Bent-Spined Acorn Ant](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/bent-spined-acorn-ant) ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Bent-Spined Acorn Ant: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bent-spined-acorn-ant)