# Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant (*crematogaster pilosa*)

The Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant is a tiny ant known for its unique fluffy head and agile movements. These little acrobats can often be found climbing trees and navigating their way through the forest with ease!

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Forests and wooded areas where they build nests in trees.
- **Also known as:** Acrobat Ant, Fluffy Ant, Tree Ant

![Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Crematogaster_pilosa_casent0103803_profile_2.jpg&width=800)

Photo: April Nobile, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crematogaster_pilosa_casent0103803_profile_2.jpg)

## Appearance

The Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant is a small, dark reddish-brown to black ant, easily recognized by its distinctly heart-shaped abdomen. Its head and thorax are noticeably covered with dense, often golden-brown hairs, making it appear fuzzy compared to smoother ant species.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Hymenoptera
- **Family:** Formicidae
- **Genus:** Crematogaster

## Interesting facts

- A single queen ant can start a whole colony of thousands of workers all by herself!
- If threatened, these ants release an invisible alarm chemical to call for help!
- Some Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ants 'farm' tiny insects for their sweet honeydew!
- Their heart-shaped bottom lets them lift it over their head like a tiny acrobat!

## Special abilities

- **The Acrobatic Climber:** Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant can skillfully navigate tight spaces because of its heart-shaped abdomen that can be lifted over its head.
- **Stingless Stinker:** Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant has a special gland that helps them spray noxious chemicals to deter predators without stinging them.
- **Woody Home Builder:** Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant can hollow out tunnels in dead wood that helps them create secure and sheltered nests.

## Measurements & details

- **Size:** 2-4 mm
- **Lifespan:** 60-90 days
- **Leg Count:** 6
- **Colony Size:** 10000

## Diet & Feeding

These ants enjoy a varied diet, feasting on sweet honeydew and scavenging for small insects.

- **Primary Foods:** honeydew, dead insects, nectar, sweet plant secretions, bird droppings
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** cotton aphid (*Aphis gossypii*) — Farms for sweet honeydew.
- **Eaten by:** bold jumper (*Phidippus audax*) — Spiders often prey on ants.
- **Eaten by:** [white-breasted nuthatch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-breasted-nuthatch) (*Sitta carolinensis*) — Birds forage ants from bark.
- **Parasitizes:** zombie-ant fungus (*Ophiocordyceps unilateralis*) — Fungus can control ant behavior.

## 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.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [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:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Hairy-Headed Acrobat 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 Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant?

2-4 mm

### How long does Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant live?

60-90 days

### What does Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant eat?

These ants enjoy a varied diet, feasting on sweet honeydew and scavenging for small insects.

### Where is Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant usually found?

Forests and wooded areas where they build nests in trees.

### How does Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant hunt?

Foraging

### How many legs does Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant have?

6

### How large are Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant colonies?

10000

## Where to spot

- [Circleville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/circleville-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District

## 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*)

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Source: [Hairy-Headed Acrobat Ant: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hairy-headed-acrobat-ant)