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- ›Crematogaster

Crematogaster
Crematogaster is an ecologically diverse genus of ants found worldwide, which are characterised by a distinctive heart-shaped gaster (abdomen), which gives them one of their common names, the Saint Valentine ant. Members of this genus are also known as cocktail ants because of their habit of raising their abdomens when alarmed. Most species are arboreal (tree-dwelling). These ants are also known as acrobat ants.
Cocktail ants acquire food largely through predation on other insects, such as wasps. They use venom to stun their prey and a complex trail-laying process to lead comrades to food sources. Like most ants, Crematogaster species reproduce by partaking in nuptial flights, where the queen acquires the sperm used to fertilize every egg throughout her life.
60 branches of this group, most-observed first

Mediterranean Acrobat Ant
speciesCrematogaster scutellaris

Shiny Acrobat Ant
speciesCrematogaster laeviuscula

Black Cocktail Ant
speciesCrematogaster peringueyi

Crematogaster rogenhoferi
speciesCrematogaster rogenhoferi

Cherry Acrobat Ant
speciesCrematogaster cerasi

Ashmead's Acrobat Ant
speciesCrematogaster ashmeadi

Schmidt's Cocktail Ant
speciesCrematogaster schmidti

Crematogaster auberti
speciesCrematogaster auberti

Hairy-headed Acrobat Ant
speciesCrematogaster pilosa

Crematogaster matsumurai
speciesCrematogaster matsumurai

Red Cocktail ant
speciesCrematogaster castanea

Small-lined Acrobat Ant
speciesCrematogaster lineolata

Crematogaster hespera
speciesCrematogaster hespera

Indian Orange Acrobat Ant
speciesCrematogaster contemta

Crematogaster rothneyi
speciesCrematogaster rothneyi

Crematogaster subnuda
speciesCrematogaster subnuda

Crematogaster graeca
speciesCrematogaster graeca

Pine Tree Acrobat Ant
speciesCrematogaster pinicola

Crematogaster lorteti
speciesCrematogaster lorteti

Crematogaster aurita
speciesCrematogaster aurita

Ranavalonae-group Cocktail Ants
complexCrematogaster ranavalonae

Crematogaster teranishii
speciesCrematogaster teranishii

Atkinson's Acrobat Ant
speciesCrematogaster parapilosa

Crematogaster alluaudi
speciesCrematogaster alluaudi

Crematogaster inflata
speciesCrematogaster inflata

Crematogaster sewardi
speciesCrematogaster sewardi

Crematogaster laeviceps
speciesCrematogaster laeviceps

Brown Cocktail Ant
speciesCrematogaster melanogaster

Cypress Acrobat Ant
speciesCrematogaster vermiculata

Crematogaster subdentata
speciesCrematogaster subdentata

Crematogaster coarctata
speciesCrematogaster coarctata

Crematogaster cornigera
speciesCrematogaster cornigera

Crematogaster laestrygon
speciesCrematogaster laestrygon

Ionic Cocktail Ant
speciesCrematogaster ionia

Crematogaster vagula
speciesCrematogaster vagula

Crematogaster buddhae
speciesCrematogaster buddhae

Liengme's Cocktail ant
speciesCrematogaster liengmei

Crematogaster ferrarii
speciesCrematogaster ferrarii

Borneensis-group Cocktail Ants
complexCrematogaster borneensis

Crematogaster nigriceps
speciesCrematogaster nigriceps

Crematogaster cylindriceps
speciesCrematogaster cylindriceps

Crematogaster clarior
speciesCrematogaster clarior

Crematogaster wroughtonii
speciesCrematogaster wroughtonii

Crematogaster egidyi
speciesCrematogaster egidyi

Crematogaster isolata
speciesCrematogaster isolata

Crematogaster opuntiae
speciesCrematogaster opuntiae

Crematogaster punctulata
speciesCrematogaster punctulata

Crematogaster depilis
speciesCrematogaster depilis

Crematogaster ariadnae
speciesCrematogaster ariadnae

Crematogaster mimosae
speciesCrematogaster mimosae

Crematogaster modiglianii
speciesCrematogaster modiglianii

Crematogaster emeryana
speciesCrematogaster emeryana

Crematogaster frivola
speciesCrematogaster frivola

Crematogaster mutans
speciesCrematogaster mutans

Crematogaster nawai
speciesCrematogaster nawai

Crematogaster dentinodis
speciesCrematogaster dentinodis

Crematogaster rifelna
speciesCrematogaster rifelna

Crematogaster angusticeps
speciesCrematogaster angusticeps

Crematogaster dohrni
speciesCrematogaster dohrni

Mountain Cocktail Ant
speciesCrematogaster monticola
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
—
geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Crematogaster in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 1154989.