Species: Crematogaster ashmeadi

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2013)

Distribution:

SE, north along the Mississippi to St. Louis

Biology:

Habitat: Dry-mesic to moist, remnant wooded areas, including those with highly degraded understory and ground layer, but whose old trees are still intact, also thickets and edges of old fields. Nests are in dead wood, often that of living woody plants.

Natural History: C. ashmeadi nests above ground and forages mostly in tree canopies and on lianas, in columns up and down tree trunks and vines to gain access to low vegetation. In Forest Park in St. Louis, the arboreal habitat of this species has allowed it to survive the depredations of Tetramorium tsushimae. Like all Crematogaster, this species feeds heavily on the secretions of extrafloral nectaries and honeydew-excreting hemipterans. Workers may also drink fluids from bird droppings on foliage, carrion and other protein-rich tidbits. Sexuals are reared in early summer.

Taxon Page Author History

Specimen Data Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 1 times found in Mixed hardwood forest, 2 times found in pine/palmetto flatwoods, 3 times found in Suburban with wide-spaced, 1 times found in Hardwoods in lawn, 1 times found in pine/oak managed forest, 2 times found in Pinus clausa old growth, 1 times found in Mixed deciduous forest, 1 times found in Mixed hardwoos forest, 1 times found in oak/palm hammock, 1 times found in disturbed hammock, ...

Collected most commonly using these methods or in the following microhabitats: 12 times search, 1 times On tree trunk, 1 times on trunk of beech, 2 times In gall of laurel oak, 1 times in twig, 1 times loose on ground, 1 times Winkler, 1 times Stump, log stage 2, 1 times hand collected, 1 times In greenhouse

Elevations: collected from 3 - 335 meters, 90 meters average

4 Specimens Imaged | View All 62 Specimens for this species

CASENT0103761

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CASENT0103762

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CASENT0103765

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CASENT0902144

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