Small workers, generally only several millimetres long.
Fine-art photographic collection
Crematogaster auberti
A Mediterranean acrobat ant lifting its heart-shaped abdomen in defence.
About this species
Aubert's acrobat ant
Crematogaster aubertiEmery, 1869
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Crematogaster auberti is a Mediterranean acrobat ant. Workers forage on the ground and vegetation and can flex the gaster upward over the body when alarmed, presenting defensive secretions toward an attacker.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Formicidae · Myrmicinae · Crematogastrini · Crematogaster
Source checked · checked 2026-07-15
Western MediterraneanBroad documented localities — not a complete range map.
Western and central Mediterranean, including the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa.
Dry woodland, scrub, rocky ground, walls and disturbed Mediterranean landscapes.
Often diurnal in mild weather, shifting away from the hottest periods in summer.
Honeydew, plant liquids, carrion and small arthropods.
Colonies occupy soil, stones, wood cavities or other sheltered spaces.
What makes this species remarkable?
The gaster attaches high on the waist, allowing it to be raised over the thorax.
Workers often tend aphids and scale insects for honeydew.
Colonies can exploit both ground and arboreal nesting opportunities.