Species comparison

Crematogaster scutellaris vs Pheidole pallidula

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 Pheidole pallidula compared fact by fact
Crematogaster scutellarisPheidole pallidula
Keeping
Difficulty
Easier6/7

Intermediate

7/7

Advanced

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

All the same size

2–4 mm

majors up to 6 mm

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

One queen

Fully claustral

One or more queens

Defense
Bites · Smears venom
Bites
Climate
Nest temperature
21–25 °C
21–28 °C
Nest humidity
50–60 %
60–70 %
Hibernation
8–12 °C

Oct – Mar

12–16 °C

Nov – Mar

Nuptial flights
Aug – Oct
May – Aug
Native range
Europe, North Africa
Europe, North Africa

Size to scale

  • Crematogaster scutellaris

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

  • Pheidole pallidula

    Workers · 2–4 mm
    Majors · ≤ 6 mm
    Queen · 7–8 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

  • Pheidole pallidula : Hibernation: Nov – Mar, Nuptial flights: May – 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.

Pheidole pallidula

Light yellowish to reddish-brown workers of two kinds: small, quick minors and majors whose head looks far too big for their body. The majors carry strong, sharp jaws.

  • Tip Offer a few small seeds next to the sugar and insects: the big-headed majors crack them open so the whole colony can eat the soft part inside.
  • Tip They like consistently moist chambers. If the nest dries out too quickly, rearrange the setup so it holds moisture better: in a naturalistic setup, a piece of wood or a bark substrate helps.

More comparisons

Compare
with
Crematogaster scutellaris care guide Pheidole pallidula care guide

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