Species comparison

Crematogaster scutellaris vs Formica cinerea

Side by side: difficulty, size, growth, climate, hibernation and nuptial flights, from the data and sources of each species sheet.

Head to head

Crematogaster scutellaris and Formica cinerea compared fact by fact
Crematogaster scutellarisFormica cinerea
Keeping
Difficulty
6/7

Intermediate

Easier5/7

Intermediate

Escape risk
LowerMedium
High
Diet
SugarInsects
SugarInsects
Best nests
Wooden nest · Ytong nest · Acrylic nest
Ytong nest · Sandwich nest · Acrylic nest
Colony
Growth
Very fast
Very fast
Colony size
Reaches 1,000 workers
Reaches 10,000 workers
Workers
3–5 mm

All the same size

4–8 mm

All the same size

Queen
7–9 mm
8–11 mm
Colony founding
Fully claustral

One queen

Fully claustral

One or more queens

Defense
Bites · Smears venom
Bites · Sprays formic acid
Climate
Nest temperature
21–25 °C
21–27 °C
Nest humidity
50–60 %
50–60 %
Hibernation
8–12 °C

Oct – Mar

5–8 °C

Oct – Mar

Nuptial flights
Aug – Oct
Jun – Aug
Native range
Europe, North Africa
Europe, Asia

Size to scale

  • Crematogaster scutellaris

    Workers · 3–5 mm
    Queen · 7–9 mm

  • Formica cinerea

    Workers · 4–8 mm
    Queen · 8–11 mm
10 mm: both species are drawn at the same scale

Their year side by side

  • Crematogaster scutellaris : Hibernation: Oct – Mar, Nuptial flights: Aug – Oct

  • Formica cinerea : Hibernation: Oct – Mar, Nuptial flights: Jun – Aug

Months for temperate Europe and the Mediterranean. The weather decides the exact days, so flights can come earlier or later where you live.

How to tell them apart

Crematogaster scutellaris

Workers with a red head, a dark body and a heart-shaped gaster that they lift above their head when disturbed. In the wild you will often find them in dead trees and old wood.

  • Tip A wooden nest is the natural choice for this species: they love nesting in wood, and a wooden nest needs no watering and very little maintenance.
  • Tip Keep honey on hand, because they love it: a small drop also gives a newly founded queen the energy she needs, without any protein.

Formica cinerea

Almost black workers with a silvery gray sheen, large eyes and dark reddish legs. They run very fast and on irregular paths, which makes them hard to follow.

  • Watch out Escapes are most likely during outworld maintenance, because the workers move so fast and irregularly: work calmly and keep an eye on every ant until the setup is closed again.
  • Tip A white Ytong nest suits this species well, because the almost black workers stand out against it and every chamber is easy to watch.

More comparisons

Compare
with
Crematogaster scutellaris care guide Formica cinerea care guide

Not sure which ant to keep?

Take the 1-minute species finder quiz and get matched with the perfect species for your experience, your space and what you'd love to watch.

See all species