Acrobat Ants
Acrobat ants include several species. Their common name is descriptive of this ant's habit of raising the abdomen over the thorax and head, especially when disturbed. Various species are found throughout the United States, including at altitudes of up to 8,000 feet.
Acrobat ants are about 1/16 - 1/8 inch long. Queens range up to 3/8 inch long. They are typically light brown to black, sometimes multicolored. Workers of many species emit a repulsive odor when alarmed.
Acrobat Ant Damage & Infestations
Often the only exterior indication of damage is the accumulation of debris expelled by these ants, especially if the debris is styrofoam insulation. They prefer wood softened by decay fungi or styrofoam insulation, but may enlarge cavities in wood made by other insects. They will occasionally strip the insulation from electrical or telephone wires, which can cause short circuits.
Acrobat Ant Biology
Little has been published on acrobat ant biology. Most structure-infesting species are described as nesting in moderate to large colonies. Probably the most commonly encontered species is C. lineolata with workers 1/8 inch, males 1/8 inch and females 1/4 - 3/8 inch. This species varies greatly in color and nests up to 5,000 feet elevation in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Acrobat Ant Habits
Inside structures, acrobat ants typically nest in wood that has been subjected to high moisture and fungal decay, the same wood conditions fabored by carpenter ants. Similarly, they will nest in styrofoam insulation panels behind siding and in wall voids. Outside, most species nest under rocks, or in logs, firewood, or trees where decay enables them to tunnel under the bark and/or into the wood. They occasionally will nest in abandoned termite and carpenter ant galleries as well as in old wood borer, powderpost beetle or wood wasp tunnels.
The workers readily enter structures by trailing along tree limbs and utility lines as well along the rails of connected fences and decks. They then enter via cracks and holes around utility lines/pipes, window fraes, soffits, etc. Workers also will trail across the ground and enter via door thresholds, weep holes, and other openings or carcks. They have been found to trail over 100 feet.
When disturbed or alarmed, workers of all but the smallest colonies tend to be quite aggressive. They are quick to bite, and give off a repulsive odor.
