Crematogaster ashmeadi in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/30/2022). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/30/2022). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Wicomico Co., Maryland (5/31/2025). (c) Adrienne van den Beemt, some rights reserved (CC BY).
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/27/2021). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved.
Crematogaster ashmeadi with aphid herd in Howard Co., Maryland (7/16/2017). Determined by James C. Trager/BugGuide.
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Montgomery Co., Maryland (7/22/2025). (c) Jeremy Liberman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/26/2024). (c) Jeremy Liberman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Kent Co., Maryland (3/28/2025). (c) Nick Spigler, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Kent Co., Maryland (4/28/2024). (c) Nick Spigler, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Kent Co., Maryland (4/30/2025). (c) Adrienne van den Beemt, some rights reserved (CC BY).
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Kent Co., Maryland (3/28/2025). (c) Nick Spigler, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Kent Co., Maryland (4/30/2025). (c) Adrienne van den Beemt, some rights reserved (CC BY).
Crematogaster ashmeadi specimen. Contributed by Gracen Brilmyer.
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Prince George's Co., Maryland (5/24/2024). (c) Benjamin Burgunder, some rights reserved (CC BY).
Map Snapshot
39 Records
Status
Southeastern species approaching the northern limit of its range in Maryland. Found in various forested habitats including pine, oak, and hardwood forests in both mesic and xeric habitats; also collected from an urban woodlot (Frye et al., 2014).
Citations
No citations linked for this taxon yet.
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Crematogaster ashmeadi in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/30/2022). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
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Crematogaster ashmeadi in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/30/2022). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
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Crematogaster ashmeadi in Wicomico Co., Maryland (5/31/2025). (c) Adrienne van den Beemt, some rights reserved (CC BY).
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Crematogaster ashmeadi in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/27/2021). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved.
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Timothy Reichard.
Crematogaster ashmeadi with aphid herd in Howard Co., Maryland (7/16/2017). Determined by James C. Trager/BugGuide.
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Anthony VanSchoor.
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Montgomery Co., Maryland (7/22/2025). (c) Jeremy Liberman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
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Jeremy Liberman via iNaturalist.
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/26/2024). (c) Jeremy Liberman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
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Crematogaster ashmeadi in Kent Co., Maryland (3/28/2025). (c) Nick Spigler, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
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birdsandbugs21 via iNaturalist.
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Kent Co., Maryland (4/28/2024). (c) Nick Spigler, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
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birdsandbugs21 via iNaturalist.
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Kent Co., Maryland (4/30/2025). (c) Adrienne van den Beemt, some rights reserved (CC BY).
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Adrienne van den Beemt.
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Kent Co., Maryland (3/28/2025). (c) Nick Spigler, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
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Crematogaster ashmeadi in Kent Co., Maryland (4/30/2025). (c) Adrienne van den Beemt, some rights reserved (CC BY).
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Adrienne van den Beemt.
Crematogaster ashmeadi specimen. Contributed by Gracen Brilmyer.
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AntWeb Data.
Crematogaster ashmeadi in Prince George's Co., Maryland (5/24/2024). (c) Benjamin Burgunder, some rights reserved (CC BY).
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Source: Wikipedia
| Crematogaster ashmeadi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Crematogaster ashmeadi worker | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Genus: | Crematogaster |
| Species: | C. ashmeadi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Crematogaster ashmeadi | |
Crematogaster ashmeadi, commonly known as the acrobat ant, is an arboreal ant widespread in the Southeastern United States. It nests and forages almost exclusively above ground level, often found in treetops and on lianas. It is one of eleven species in the genus Crematogaster that is native to eastern North America. This ant species has been observed to raid wasp nests, including the species Mischocyttarus mexicanus, and to forage on their brood.[2] It is the most dominant arboreal ant in the pine forests of the coastal plains of northern Florida.[3] Colonies of these ants inhabit a majority of pine trees in the area, living in chambers in the outer bark of living trees that have been abandoned by bark-mining caterpillars, usually of the family Cossidae. C. ashmeadi does little to no excavation of its own, relying solely on chambers bored out by other insects.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "Crematogaster ashmeadi". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- ^ Clouse, R. M. (1995). "Nest usurpation and intercolonial cannibalism in Mischocyttarus mexicanus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 68 (1): 67–73. JSTOR 25085561.
- ^ a b Tschinkel, Walter R. (2002-07-12). "The natural history of the arboreal ant, Crematogaster ashmeadi". Journal of Insect Science. 2 (12): 12. doi:10.1093/jis/2.1.12. PMC 355912. PMID 15455046.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Crematogaster ashmeadi at Wikimedia Commons- "Species: Crematogaster ashmeadi". The California Academy of Sciences. 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
