Acrobat Ant vs Corsican Seed-Harvesting Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Acrobat Ant Corsican Seed-Harvesting Ant
Scientific Name Crematogaster scutellaris Messor wasmanni
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Formicidae
Size 3-5 mm 4-11 mm
Habitat Woodlands Heathland
Diet Wood Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions Southern Europe, North Africa Western Mediterranean (Spain, France, Corsica, North Africa)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Acrobat Ant

A Mediterranean ant with a heart-shaped abdomen it raises over its thorax when alarmed. They nest in dead wood, old walls, and cork oak bark.

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Did You Know?

They can raise their abdomen over their head to smear venom on attackers, earning them the name acrobat ants.

Corsican Seed-Harvesting Ant

A large dark harvester ant found in the western Mediterranean region. Major workers have broad heads for seed processing. Colonies build extensive granaries deep underground for storing seeds through the hot dry summer.

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Did You Know?

They sun-dry moistened seeds at the nest entrance on warm days to prevent germination and fungal growth in their underground granaries.