Acrobat Ant vs Teratembiid Web Spinner

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Acrobat Ant Teratembiid Web Spinner
Scientific Name Crematogaster scutellaris Teratembia geniculata
Order Hymenoptera Embioptera
Family Formicidae Teratembiidae
Size 3-5 mm 6.0-9.0 mm
Habitat Woodlands Heathland
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Southern Europe, North Africa North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

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.

Teratembiid Web Spinner

A small web spinner found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It has distinctively bent hind femora used for navigating silk tunnels.

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Did You Know?

The bent knees of this web spinner act as anchors allowing it to brace inside its silk tunnels when threatened.