Crematogaster rochai

If the appeal of acrobat ants is their behaviour but the tiny workers of most species are hard to follow, rochai solves it. This is the most visible of the group, with a substantial queen and workers large enough to watch as individuals as they raise the gaster and forage. A single queen keeps founding and management straightforward, and as a fully tropical Brazilian ant it stays active year round with no winter rest to plan. It builds into a large, lively colony over time, so it gives both presence and the classic acrobat antics, which makes it a rewarding first big-ish acrobat ant.

A carbohydrate-driven omnivore like the rest of the genus: workers work honeydew from sap-feeding insects and gather nectar, while insect prey rears the brood. Keep sugar on hand and offer protein for larval growth.

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

Found this colony in a test tube and upgrade only once it is full and brood is steady. Move it on to a small ytong or hybrid nest that holds the 60-75% nest humidity this Brazilian acrobat ant likes, paired with an outworld arena and a piece of cork or twig for climbing. These are confident climbers, so line the arena rim with fluon (PTFE), oil, or talc and water and keep tubing connections snug. Browse the ANTonTOP formicaria range and beginner kits to suit its stage with a matched nest, arena, and barrier.

Hold the nest at 24-27 °C and the arena a touch warmer at 25-29 °C, with nest humidity of 60-75% and the arena drier at 50-65%. Heat one side to give a cooler-to-warmer gradient across the setup. As a tropical Brazilian ant it takes no winter rest, so hold warmth and feeding steady through the colder months.

After founding the colony builds steadily toward its ceiling of 20,000 workers with consistent warmth and regular protein, the larger bodies making each new wave easy to spot. Brood takes about 5-7 weeks egg to adult. You receive a queen with her first workers and brood.

• Crematogaster is the acrobat or cocktail ant, for the lifted gaster, and the Saint Valentine ant, for its heart-shaped outline.
• This species has the biggest queen of the group at 11-13 mm, with workers up to 6.5 mm, so its acrobat behaviour is unusually easy to watch.
• The flip is structural: the postpetiole meets the top of the gaster and there is no dorsal petiole node, letting the abdomen fold over the back.
• The acrobat sting is blunt-tipped, used to smear a defensive secretion on an enemy rather than to pierce it.
• The genus is a committed honeydew farmer, guarding aphids and scales for the sugar they give off.

Is Crematogaster rochai good for beginners?

Yes. It is rated Beginner, founds claustrally, and is a single-queen species, its larger size also making the ants easier to observe.

Does this large Brazilian acrobat ant need a winter rest?

No. It is a tropical Brazilian species and stays active all year, so keep warmth and feeding steady with no cooling period.

Does Crematogaster rochai 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 20,000 workers at maturity, so plan a formicarium and outworld that can grow with it.

How big is the queen?

The queen measures 11-13 mm, the largest of these acrobat ants, with workers of 4-6.5 mm.

How fast does it grow?

Quickly. Crematogaster build fast with stable warmth and regular protein once the first workers appear.

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, include 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.