Crematogaster crinosa

Mayr, 1862

crinosa-complex Acrobat Ants

Crematogaster crinosa is a of acrobat in the tribe Crematogastrini, described by Mayr in 1862. It belongs to the crinosa , a group of closely related Crematogaster species that can be difficult to distinguish morphologically. The species is to the Neotropics and has been documented in association with various nests as a .

Crematogaster crinosa jtlc000001769 head 1 by April Nobile. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Crematogaster crinosa castype03689 head 1 by April Nobile. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Crematogaster crinosa casent0173935 head 1 by April Nobile. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Crematogaster crinosa: /kɹɛmətəˈɡæstər kraɪˈnoʊsə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Members of the crinosa complex are characterized by a -shaped that can be raised over the when alarmed, a defining trait of acrobat . -level identification within this complex requires examination of specific morphological features such as pilosity patterns and propodeal . The complex is noted for being taxonomically challenging due to subtle morphological differences between closely related species.

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Distribution

Documented from northern South America including Colombia (Bolívar, Magdalena departments), Ecuador (Reserva Ecológica Arenillas), and extensively across Brazil (Acre, Amazonas, Amapá, Bahia, Ceará, Distrito Federal, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Pará, Pernambuco, Piauí, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rondônia, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo states).

Host Associations

Pachodynerus nasidens - Acrobat (Crematogaster sp.) are recorded as of this , presumably breaking into nests to on stages
Polistes exclamans - Crematogaster laeviuscula, a congeneric , has been documented destroying nests; similar may occur in C. crinosa

Behavior

Has been observed as a of other nests. Related in the are known for their characteristic 'acrobatic' defensive posture where the is raised over the . Some Crematogaster species engage in cooperative foraging and nest defense.

Similar Taxa

Other Crematogaster crinosa complex speciesMorphologically similar members of the same require detailed examination for accurate identification
Crematogaster laeviusculaCongeneric with overlapping ecological role as nest ; distinguished by geographic range and subtle morphological features

More Details

Taxonomic status

The iNaturalist database classifies this at 'complex' rank rather than , reflecting ongoing taxonomic uncertainty and the difficulty of distinguishing C. crinosa from closely related species in the crinosa complex. The GBIF and NCBI databases maintain it as an accepted species.