Crematogaster scutellaris
Acrobat ant
DifficultyIntermediate · 6/7
Kept by BrumaSpecies comparison
Crematogaster scutellaris vs Lasius emarginatus
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 | Fact | Lasius emarginatus |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping | ||
| Difficulty | ||
6/7 Intermediate | Difficulty | Easier3/7 Beginner |
| Escape risk | ||
Medium | Escape risk | Medium |
| Diet | ||
SugarInsects | Diet | SugarInsects |
| Best nests | ||
Wooden nest · Ytong nest · Acrylic nest | Best nests | Ytong nest · Sandwich nest · Acrylic nest |
| Colony | ||
| Growth | ||
FasterVery fast | Growth | Fast |
| Colony size | ||
Reaches 1,000 workers | Colony size | No data yet |
| Workers | ||
3–5 mm All the same size | Workers | 3–5 mm All the same size |
| Queen | ||
7–9 mm | Queen | 7–9 mm |
| Colony founding | ||
Fully claustral One queen | Colony founding | Fully claustral One queen |
| Defense | ||
Bites · Smears venom | Defense | Bites · Sprays formic acid |
| Climate | ||
| Nest temperature | ||
21–25 °C | Nest temperature | 21–27 °C |
| Nest humidity | ||
50–60 % | Nest humidity | 50–60 % |
| Hibernation | ||
8–12 °C Oct – Mar | Hibernation | 5–8 °C Oct – Mar |
| Nuptial flights | ||
Aug – Oct | Nuptial flights | Jun – Aug |
| Native range | ||
Europe, North Africa | Native range | Europe |
Size to scale
Crematogaster scutellaris
Workers · 3–5 mmQueen · 7–9 mmLasius emarginatus
Workers · 3–5 mmQueen · 7–9 mm
Their year side by side
Crematogaster scutellaris : Hibernation: Oct – Mar, Nuptial flights: Aug – Oct
Lasius emarginatus : 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.
Lasius emarginatus
Workers and queens have a clearly reddish thorax between a dark brown head and gaster, which sets them apart from the all-black Lasius niger. They are small, busy ants that dig complex tunnel systems in soil.
- Tip Because the colony grows fast, the brood needs a lot of protein: keep insects like crickets, worms or fruit flies coming alongside the sugar water.
- Tip A Ytong nest suits it well: it holds moisture, and the white surface contrasts with the dark head and gaster of the workers, so they are easy to watch.
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