Crematogaster jardinero

This is a rainforest acrobat ant, and its appeal is twofold: the comical gaster-flip defence and the multi-queen society that makes the colony tough and quick off the mark. Having more than one egg-layer means founding rarely stalls and a colony bounces back from early stumbles, which takes a lot of pressure off a newcomer. It does ask for steady warmth and high humidity, so it suits a beginner who can keep moisture up, and the reward is a busy, fast-filling nest. The sting is mild and not a concern in handling.

A sugar-driven omnivore in the acrobat-ant mould: foragers work honeydew from sap-feeding bugs and seek out nectar, while the larvae are reared on insect prey. A standing carbohydrate source keeps the workers going and protein keeps the brood developing.

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

Keep the founding queen in a test tube until her first workers harden. This wet-forest acrobat ant then needs a moisture-holding nest, a hybrid or ytong type kept around 65-80%, rather than a dry stone block that would dry the brood. Pair it with an arena and offer cork or twigs for climbing. Ring the arena with fluon (PTFE), oil, or talc and water to hold these agile climbers in. Reach for an ANTonTOP formicarium or starter kit when you want a humid nest and arena ready for a tropical species.

This is a wet-forest ant, so keep the nest warm and humid at 24-27 °C with 65-80% humidity, and the arena at 25-29 °C and a slightly drier 55-70%. A warm-to-cool gradient lets the colony settle where it feels right. There is no cold season to mimic; hold the warmth and humidity steady all year and keep feeding without a break.

Acrobat colonies expand at a moderate, even clip, and this one can reach 20,000 workers in time. The several founding queens give it a head start, so the population firms up faster through the early stages, with brood taking roughly 5-7 weeks from egg to adult. You receive the queens with their workers and brood.

• The whole genus is known as the acrobat or cocktail ant for the habit of lifting the gaster over the back, and as the Saint Valentine ant for its heart shape.
• That posture comes from real anatomy: the postpetiole attaches to the upper surface of the gaster, letting the abdomen arch forward over the body.
• Crematogaster does not jab its sting; the tip is blunt and spatulate, so venom is smeared onto an attacker from a distance instead.
• Acrobat ants are dedicated honeydew farmers, tending aphids, scales and other sap-feeders and defending them for their sugary output.
• Many tropical Crematogaster build carton nests from chewed plant fibre, an ant-made papery material moulded around stems and cavities.

Is this Costa Rican acrobat ant good for beginners?

Yes, it has a Beginner difficulty rating, with a forgiving multi-queen start.

Does Crematogaster jardinero 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 11 and 12 mm, large for the genus.

How fast does a multi-queen tropical colony grow?

At a moderate, steady pace, helped by its multi-queen founding.

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.