Crematogaster rogenhoferi

Being firmly diurnal is what sets this one apart for a beginner: the colony does its foraging in the open during the day, so you actually see it work rather than catching glimpses after dark. The multi-queen structure gives it several egg-layers, which means a hardy colony that shrugs off early hiccups and fills out quickly. As a widespread tropical Asian ant it stays active all year with no winter rest to think about. Add the trademark gaster-flip and you have an engaging, easy-to-observe first acrobat ant. The mild sting is not a concern in handling.

A sugar-led omnivore that you will see foraging by day: workers tend sap-feeding bugs for honeydew and collect nectar, while insect prey feeds the brood. Keep a carbohydrate source available and add protein for the larvae.

★★★ readily · ★★ moderately · ★ occasionally · ✗ not eaten

Leave the founding colony in its test tube until the first workers mature. When the tube fills and brood is steady, move it into a small ytong or hybrid nest kept around 65-80% to match this widespread tropical Asian ant, with an attached arena for foraging. Offer climbing structure such as cork or a twig, as the colony will work upward. They are quick climbers, so apply a fluon (PTFE), oil, or talc-and-water barrier to the rim and seal all connections. Pair it with an ANTonTOP formicarium or beginner kit suited to its current stage.

Run the nest at 24-27 °C and the arena slightly warmer at 25-29 °C, with nest humidity of 65-80% and the arena at 55-70%. A cooler 24 °C side beside a warm 29 °C side lets the colony self-regulate. There is no cold season to recreate for this widespread tropical Asian ant, so keep warmth and feeding steady through winter.

The colony expands quickly once it gets going, and the several queens speed the early stages on the way to 10,000 workers with stable warmth and protein. Brood takes roughly 5-7 weeks egg to adult. You receive the founding colony with its queens, first workers and brood.

• In the wild this ant builds hive-like carton nests from chewed leaf and plant debris, wrapped around branches and twigs typically a few metres up a tree.
• It is one of the most widespread acrobat ants in Asia, recorded from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia into southern China.
• The genus is also called the cocktail ant, for the raised gaster, and the Saint Valentine ant, for its heart-shaped shape.
• That overhead flip is anatomical, the postpetiole joining the top of the gaster so the abdomen can arch over the back.
• The acrobat sting is blunt and spatulate, wiping a defensive secretion onto rivals rather than stabbing them.

Is Crematogaster rogenhoferi good for beginners?

Yes. It is rated Beginner, founds claustrally, and as a polygyne species it is resilient and grows quickly, forgiving for first-time keepers.

Does Crematogaster rogenhoferi need a winter rest?

No. This tropical Sri Lankan acrobat ant stays active all year, so keep warmth and feeding steady with no cooling period.

Does the acrobat ant sting or bite?

It has a mild sting and is not aggressive; acrobat ants are gentle and pose no real concern.

How big does the colony get?

Up to 10,000 workers at maturity, so plan a formicarium and outworld that can grow with it.

How big is the queen?

The queen measures 6-8 mm, with workers of 3-5 mm.

How fast does a Crematogaster rogenhoferi colony grow?

Quickly. Crematogaster build fast, and the polygyne, multi-queen structure speeds the early stages with stable warmth and protein.

What do they eat?

Mainly sugars (sugar water, nectar, jelly) plus insect protein like crickets and flies for the brood. They do not eat seeds.

Will the ants arrive alive?

Yes. We ship live with a live-arrival guarantee, add a heat or cold pack for the season, and dispatch within 24 h with tracking.

Escape prevention. Coat the inner rim of every open arena with fluon (PTFE), or use talc-and-water or an oil barrier as a backup, and keep a tight, fine-mesh lid on top. Check the barrier regularly, since dust, condensation and feeding debris break a fluon line over time. Keep tubing connectors tight and seal any gaps in the nest.

Keeping reminders. Always offer fresh water and never let the nest dry out completely. Give carbohydrates continuously and protein a few times a week, and remove uneaten insect prey within 24 hours before it moulds. Keep the formicarium out of direct sunlight and away from constant vibration, which stresses a young colony. A water-filled test tube plugged with cotton makes an ideal spare incubator whenever you need one.

Before you buy – do not rehouse too early. Have a test-tube setup or a small formicarium with an outworld and a working barrier ready before your colony arrives. A founding colony grows slowly at first, which is normal. Moving a small colony into a large nest too soon invites mould, mites and stress, and the workers die off one by one. Keep the colony in its open test tube on the arena, plug the nest entrance with cotton, and open up the next chambers only once the colony fills roughly 10-15% of the space.

What we ship. Every colony ships with a live-arrival guarantee, backed by our 24h unboxing-video guarantee: if the queen does not arrive alive, we reship free. Parcels travel with DHL, InPost (PL) or EMS, with a heat or cold pack to suit the season, packed discreetly and securely. We ship across the EU and worldwide, with free shipping over the Europe threshold.