Crematogaster laeviuscula

Introduction

Crematogaster laeviuscula is a common North American acrobat ant found from the central United States into Mexico . Workers have a shiny head and pronotum, with the mesosoma finely sculptured . They are typically bicolored – bright red or reddish-yellow on the head and body with a dark black gaster – but color varies from completely reddish to entirely dark brown . These ants get their name from raising their abdomen like an acrobat when disturbed, showing a heart-shaped gaster. They are more aggressive than other North American Crematogaster . Colonies nest arboreally in preformed cavities in trees, hollow twigs, under bark, and in rotting wood .