Crematogaster scutellaris
🐜 Quick fact sheet: Crematogaster scutellaris
The "acrobat ant", famous for its heart-shaped abdomen and red head.
📋 In short
The Crematogaster scutellaris is a very active and aggressive species towards its prey. It is easily recognized by its contrasting colours (red head, black body) and its ability to raise its abdomen above its body when excited.
🌡️ Maintenance settings
- Temperature (Nest): 25°C to 30°C. It is a thermophilic species that needs warmth to develop quickly.
- Humidity: Low. In the wild, it nests in dry wood. A nest with low ambient humidity is sufficient, provided there is a permanent water source in the hunting area.
- Diapause (Wintering): Light but recommended. From December to February, between 10°C and 15°C to stop egg-laying and allow the queen to rest.
🍴 Food
A very greedy and opportunistic species:
- Sweetened liquids: Honeydew, sugar water, jellies. They consume large quantities of these to support their activity.
- Proteins: All types of dead insects (flies, crickets, mealworms). They are excellent for cleaning up leftovers.
📏 Morphology & Colony
| Size | Queen (7-9 mm) / Worker bees (3-5 mm) |
| Kind | Monogynous (only one queen) |
| Growth rate | Very fast (explosive after the first year) |
🏠 Recommended nest type
- Nests made of wood, plexiglass or cork (imitating their natural habitat).
- They can also live in a mineral nest, but keep the humidity to a minimum.
- Warning: They are great escape artists and they may nibble on some soft materials.
⭐ Tips from "Fourmitures.fr"
- Waterproofing: This is the "escape queen" of the species. A perfectly fitting lid and a quality escape-proof sealant (paraffin oil) are essential.
- Observation: Observe them during feeding: they raise their abdomen forward in a "dart" shape, a typical and spectacular defensive posture.
- Size: Plan for space! A small colony quickly becomes very large if it is well heated and fed.
🔬 Did you know? (The cork ant)
In the Mediterranean basin, the Crematogaster scutellaris is often found in the bark of cork oak trees. It plays a major ecological role, but it is a concern in homes because it can nest in insulation or timber framing if they are even slightly damp!