Acorn Ants and Allies
Temnothorax is a genus of small ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae containing over 500 species worldwide. Workers are typically small with mesosoma length around 0.7–1.5 mm. Colonies are generally monogynous with small populations, often fewer than 100 workers, though some species maintain multiple satellite nests. The genus has become an important model system for studying social behavior, caste differentiation, and collective decision-making in ants due to their small colony size and ease of laboratory maintenance.
Temnothorax obturator is a species of small myrmicine ant in the genus Temnothorax, described by Wheeler in 1903. Like other members of this genus, it is a cavity-nesting ant that typically inhabits pre-existing hollow spaces such as acorns, twigs, or rock crevices. The species is part of a diverse genus containing over 350 species worldwide, with approximately 60 species known from North America. Temnothorax ants are frequently studied in behavioral ecology due to their manageable colony sizes and accessible nesting habits.
Pergande's Acorn Ant
Temnothorax pergandei is a small ant species in the family Formicidae, commonly known as Pergande's Acorn Ant. Like other members of its genus, it is a cavity-nesting species that typically inhabits pre-existing spaces such as hollow acorns, twigs, or other small plant cavities. The species was first described by Emery in 1895 and is part of a diverse genus containing over 350 species worldwide, with approximately 60 species known from North America.
Greenhouse Fierce Ant
Tetramorium caldarium is a small ant species in the family Formicidae, commonly known as the Greenhouse Fierce Ant. It belongs to the genus Tetramorium, which includes many species that are morphologically similar and often difficult to distinguish. The species has been documented from several islands in the Azores archipelago. Like other members of its genus, it is likely a generalist forager with opportunistic feeding habits.
Tetramorium spinosum is a species of ant in the family Formicidae, described by Pergande in 1896. It belongs to the genus Tetramorium, a diverse group of myrmicine ants commonly known as pavement ants. The species is part of the Tetramorium caespitum species complex, a group of morphologically similar ants that has been subject to taxonomic revision due to cryptic species diversity.