Crematogaster castanea

This acrobat ant brings the genus’s signature flair to a tropical setup: alarm it and the workers raise the gaster up over the back, a habit that makes a busy nest lively to watch. Native to Sierra Leone in Sub-Saharan Africa, it thrives in warm, humid conditions and grows into a large, bustling colony, so there is always something happening in the arena. The sting is mild and the care is simple once you can hold steady tropical warmth, which makes it a fine introduction to keeping a warm-climate species for anyone moving on from their first ants.

An acrobat ant that feeds mostly on sugars and honeydew gathered from sap-sucking bugs, adding small insects to drive brood growth. Keep a sugar source available at all times and offer protein two or three times a week.

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

Begin this acrobat ant in a test tube or compact nest, as the colony likes a snug, moist space early on. Upgrade to a larger nest as the workforce grows, keeping the nest gently humid and pairing it with a foraging arena. With a colony that can run to tens of thousands, plan to expand in stages so it stays comfortably full. The quick-climbing workers slip out, so ring the rim with fluon (PTFE), an oil line, or talc and water. ANTonTOP formicaria and starter kits provide a ready nest-and-arena pairing.

Warm and humid all year. Keep the nest at 24-27 °C and the arena at 25-29 °C, with nest humidity at 60-75% and arena humidity at 50-65%. Set a warmth gradient across the setup so the colony can choose its spot. This is a tropical species with no hibernation: keep it active and warm year-round, feeding continuously.

Acrobat ants grow at a moderate, steady pace, and this colony has real headroom, building up to 20,000 workers over time. Hold steady tropical warmth and regular protein and the population keeps climbing on track season after season. Your colony arrives as a queen with workers and brood, ready to move into a warm, humid home.

• The name acrobat ant comes from the alarm display: a worker hoists its heart-shaped gaster up over its body when threatened.
• Crematogaster lack a conventional stinger and instead smear venom onto attackers with a flattened, spatula-like sting tip.
• The genus is closely tied to honeydew, farming aphids and scale insects for sugar, and many species weave nests out of chewed plant carton.

Is this Sub-Saharan acrobat ant good for beginners?

Yes, it has a Beginner difficulty rating and is straightforward with steady warmth.

Does Crematogaster castanea need a winter rest?

No, it is tropical and stays active year-round; keep it warm and feeding.

Does the acrobat ant sting or bite?

Yes, but the sting is mild.

How big can the colony get?

Up to 20,000 workers.

How large is the queen?

Between 9 and 10 mm.

How fast does this warm-climate colony grow?

At a moderate, steady pace under stable tropical heat.

What does it eat?

Sugar water or nectar for the workers and insects such as crickets and flies for the brood.

How is it shipped?

With a queen, workers and brood, a heat or cool pack, dispatched within 24 h with tracking for live arrival.

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.