Cavity-nesting-ant
Guides
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 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 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 rugatulus
Western Acorn Ant
Temnothorax rugatulus is a small myrmicine ant species native to western North America, notable for its sophisticated collective decision-making behaviors and remarkable polymorphism in queen size. The species exhibits two distinct queen morphs: large macrogynes associated with single-queen (monogynous) colonies, and smaller microgynes found in multiple-queen (polygynous) colonies. This species has become an important model organism for studying social insect behavior, communication, and the molecular mechanisms underlying caste determination and phenotypic plasticity.
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.