Acrobat Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

A term applied to ants of the genus Crematogaster. Typically they are small, shiny brown or black, and possess a pedicel with two nodes. They elevate the gaster (tip of the abdomen) over the thorax or head when alarmed. Acrobat ants usually are found in association with wood or trees, including the tunnels of termites and wood boring beetles. They are omnivorous and tend aphids. Their bite can be painful.