# Mediterranean Acrobat Ant (*Crematogaster scutellaris*)

The Mediterranean Acrobat Ant is a small, agile ant known for its unique acrobatic skills. It can flip and climb easily, making it fun to watch as it moves around its home!

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Forests

![Mediterranean Acrobat Ant](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Crematogaster_scutellaris.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Xvazquez, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crematogaster_scutellaris.JPG)

## Appearance

The Mediterranean Acrobat Ant is a small, reddish-brown ant with a distinct heart-shaped, blackish abdomen that it often raises over its head. Its head and thorax are typically a warm reddish hue, creating a striking contrast with its darker rear.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Its unique abdomen helps it walk upside down with surprising ease!
- Queens can live for over 10 years, constantly laying thousands of eggs!
- Sometimes, they invade other ant nests to steal their developing larvae.
- They communicate using special scent trails to lead others to food.

## Special abilities

- **Acrobatic Defense:** Mediterranean Acrobat Ant can raise its heart-shaped abdomen high over its head, ready to spray defensive chemicals, because of its flexible gaster joint.
- **Honeydew Harvester:** Mediterranean Acrobat Ant can "farm" tiny aphids, protecting them in exchange for their sugary honeydew, which helps them get energy.
- **Carton Constructor:** Mediterranean Acrobat Ant can build unique "carton nests" inside trees using chewed wood fibers and saliva that helps shelter their colony.

## Measurements & details

- **Size:** 3-5 mm
- **Lifespan:** 60-365 days
- **Leg Count:** 6
- **Colony Size:** 1000-50000

## Diet & Feeding

They are tiny omnivores who love sweet liquids and munch on small insects.

- **Primary Foods:** Honeydew, Small insects, Nectar, Fruit juices, Sugary secretions
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** Black Bean Aphid (*Aphis fabae*) — Protects aphids for their sugary honeydew.
- **Eaten by:** Garden Cross Spider (*Araneus diadematus*) — Spiders prey on foraging ants for food.
- **Eaten by:** [Great Tit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-tit) (*Parus major*) — Birds often forage for ground-dwelling insects.

## 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.
- [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [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.
- [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.
- [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Be careful not to disturb ant nests, as they can bite if they feel threatened.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Mediterranean 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 Mediterranean Acrobat Ant?

3-5 mm

### How long does Mediterranean Acrobat Ant live?

60-365 days

### What does Mediterranean Acrobat Ant eat?

They are tiny omnivores who love sweet liquids and munch on small insects.

### Where is Mediterranean Acrobat Ant usually found?

Forests

### How does Mediterranean Acrobat Ant hunt?

Foraging

### How many legs does Mediterranean Acrobat Ant have?

6

### How large are Mediterranean Acrobat Ant colonies?

1000-50000

## 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: [Mediterranean Acrobat Ant: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mediterranean-acrobat-ant)