Commensal-nesting
Guides
Crematogaster ashmeadi
acrobatic ant, Ashmead's Acrobat Ant
Crematogaster ashmeadi, commonly known as the acrobat ant, is a strictly arboreal ant species native to eastern North America and widespread in the Southeastern United States. It is the most dominant arboreal ant in pine forests of the coastal plains of northern Florida, where colonies inhabit chambers in the outer bark of living pine trees. The species exhibits specialized nesting behavior, relying on pre-existing cavities excavated by bark-mining caterpillars rather than constructing its own galleries. Workers are known for their distinctive trail-laying behavior using tibial gland secretions and have been observed raiding wasp nests.