Small to medium workers with a compact, heavily sculptured body.
Fine-art photographic collection
Cataulacus granulatus
An armoured tree ant able to control a fall back toward vegetation.
About this species
Granulated tree ant
Cataulacus granulatus(Latreille, 1802)
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Cataulacus granulatus is an arboreal Asian ant with a strongly sculptured, armoured body. Colonies occupy cavities in twigs or branches, and workers forage on vegetation for plant-associated liquids and small food particles.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Formicidae · Myrmicinae · Crematogastrini · Cataulacus
Source checked · checked 2026-07-15
Himalayan and South Asian regionBroad documented localities — not a complete range map.
South Asia, including Nepal, India and neighbouring regions.
Trees and shrubs in forest, woodland and wooded agricultural landscapes.
Arboreal workers move across bark and branches and retreat rapidly into narrow nest entrances.
Honeydew, plant exudates, pollen-like particles and small animal material.
Small arboreal colonies in hollow twigs or pre-existing plant cavities.
What makes this species remarkable?
The coarse surface sculpture gives the ant an armoured appearance.
Cataulacus workers can flatten the body and steer during a fall.
Colonies use existing cavities rather than excavating large wooden galleries.
Sources and scientific references
More photographs
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