Acorn-ant
Guides
Temnothorax ambiguus
Doubtful Acorn Ant
Temnothorax ambiguus is an ant species in the subfamily Myrmicinae, commonly known as the Doubtful Acorn Ant. It serves as a host species for the obligatory slave-making ant Protomognathus americanus and exhibits facultative slave-making behavior itself. Laboratory studies demonstrate sophisticated larval recognition capabilities, with workers preferentially accepting nestmate larvae and discriminating between conspecific and allospecific brood. The species has been observed in contexts involving cavity-nesting habits typical of the genus, including nesting in hollow nuts and acorns.
Temnothorax americanus
Slave-raiding Acorn Ant
Temnothorax americanus is an obligatory slave-making ant species endemic to the northeastern United States and adjacent Canadian regions. Adults measure 2–3 mm in length. The species does not forage for food; instead, scout workers locate nearby host colonies, raid them for larvae and pupae, and integrate these into their own colony as slave workers. A typical colony consists of a queen, two to five workers, and thirty or more slaves. The species is a member of the tribe Crematogastrini within the subfamily Myrmicinae.
Temnothorax andrei
Andre's Acorn Ant
Temnothorax andrei is a small ant species in the genus Temnothorax, commonly known as Andre's Acorn Ant. The genus Temnothorax comprises over 350 species worldwide, with approximately 60 species known from North America. These ants are typically cavity-nesting, often inhabiting hollow nuts, acorns, or twigs. The species was first described by Emery in 1895 and is part of a genus known for its ecological importance in forest floor communities and its use in studies of social insect behavior, caste differentiation, and community ecology.
Temnothorax caguatan
Temnothorax caguatan is a species of small myrmicine ant described in 2014 from California, USA. It belongs to a genus of cavity-nesting ants known for nesting in pre-existing cavities such as hollow acorns, twigs, and rock crevices. The species was one of ten new Temnothorax species described from California in a single study, effectively doubling the known species diversity of this genus in the state. Like other members of Temnothorax, it is likely a generalist scavenger with colonies of moderate size.
Temnothorax curvispinosus
acorn ant, Bent-spined Acorn Ant
Temnothorax curvispinosus is a small cavity-nesting ant species common throughout the eastern United States. The species is frequently called the "acorn ant" due to its habit of nesting in hollowed-out acorns and other small plant cavities. Colonies exhibit sophisticated collective decision-making when selecting nest sites, with active workers recruiting nestmates through quality-dependent delays and quorum-based transport strategies. The species has been used as a model organism for studying social insect behavior, micronutrient dynamics, and urban thermal adaptation.
Temnothorax longispinosus
Long-spined Acorn Ant
Temnothorax longispinosus is a small North American ant species, measuring 2–2.5 mm in length, commonly known as the Long-spined Acorn Ant. It inhabits forest environments and nests primarily in preformed cavities within leaf litter, including hollow nuts and acorns. The species exhibits remarkable queen polymorphism with three distinct morphs associated with alternative nest-founding strategies: small queens with reduced flight capacity that practice dependent colony founding by returning to natal nests; large queens with low fat reserves that found colonies via pleometrosis (cooperative founding with multiple queens); and large queens with high fat reserves that practice haplometrosis (solitary founding). This species serves as a host for the slave-making ant Protomognathus americanus and has been extensively studied for its genomic adaptations to climate variation and parasite pressure.
Temnothorax nevadensis
Nevada Acorn Ant
Temnothorax nevadensis is a species of acorn ant in the family Formicidae, originally described by Wheeler in 1903. Like other members of the genus, it is a small ant species that typically nests in preformed cavities such as hollow nuts or acorns. The species is part of a diverse genus containing over 350 species worldwide, with approximately 60 species known from North America.
Temnothorax obliquicanthus
Temnothorax obliquicanthus is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae, originally described by Cole in 1953. As a member of the genus Temnothorax, it belongs to a diverse group of small ants commonly known as acorn ants or rock ants due to their frequent nesting habits. The genus contains over 350 species worldwide, with approximately 60 species documented from North America. Like other Temnothorax species, T. obliquicanthus is likely a cavity-nesting ant that utilizes pre-existing small spaces such as hollow acorns, twigs, or rock crevices for colony establishment.
Temnothorax quasimodo
Temnothorax quasimodo is a species of ant in the genus Temnothorax, family Formicidae, described in 2014 from California, USA. It was one of ten new Temnothorax species described in a study that doubled the number of species in this genus known from California. The species epithet references the hunchbacked appearance of the type specimen's petiole and postpetiole. Like other Temnothorax species, it is a small cavity-nesting ant that inhabits acorns, twigs, and other pre-existing plant cavities.
Temnothorax schaumii
Schaumii-group Acorn Ants
Temnothorax schaumii is a small ant species in the genus Temnothorax, commonly known as the Schaumii-group Acorn Ants. First described by Roger in 1863, it was historically classified under the genus Leptothorax before taxonomic revision placed it in Temnothorax. The species belongs to a genus of cavity-nesting ants that frequently inhabit acorns, twigs, and other small preformed cavities. Like other Temnothorax species, it exhibits small colony sizes and specialized nesting habits.
Temnothorax texanus
Texas Acorn Ant
Temnothorax texanus is a species of acorn ant in the genus Temnothorax, described by Wheeler in 1903. The species is native to Texas and surrounding regions, where it inhabits small cavities such as hollow nuts, twigs, and other pre-existing shelters. Like other members of its genus, it is a small, cavity-nesting ant with a specialized lifestyle dependent on finding and occupying suitable microhabitats. The species has been documented in entomological collections and is recognized as part of the diverse North American Temnothorax fauna.
Temnothorax tricarinatus
Tricarinatus-group Acorn Ant
Temnothorax tricarinatus is a species of acorn ant in the family Formicidae, first described by Emery in 1895. The species belongs to a complex of morphologically similar species within the genus Temnothorax, commonly referred to as the 'Tricarinatus-group Acorn Ants' on iNaturalist. As with other members of this genus, T. tricarinatus is likely a cavity-nesting species that utilizes small pre-existing spaces such as hollow acorns, twigs, or other plant cavities for colony establishment. The genus Temnothorax comprises over 350 species worldwide, with approximately 60 species known from North America.