''Crematogaster scutellaris'' is a species of ant belonging to the family Formicidae, subfamily

Myrmicinae Myrmicinae is a subfamily of ants, with about 140 extant genera; their distribution is cosmopolitan. The pupae lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting. The petioles of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes. The nests are permanent and ...

Description

''Crematogaster scutellaris'' can reach a length of about 8 mm in the queen, while the workers rarely exceed 5 mm. These ants have reddish head and black thorax and abdomen. The shape of the abdomen is characteristic, as it gradually narrows toward the apex. They raise menacingly their pointed abdomen when they are feeling attacked, emitting a small drop of pheromones from the rear end. The smell of the pheromone causes a general mobilization in the nest and any intruder is soon surrounded by a mass of aggressive ants.

Biology and ecology

''Crematogaster scutellaris'' establish independent monogynous colonies, but with the possibility of oligogyny (multiple queens are accepted by the workers in the colony, but the queens are aggressive among them). Winged males and queens can be found at the end of summer, but sometimes even until the end of October, if it is not very cold. They usually build their colonies mainly in stumps and fallen logs or dead branches. The nest are made with a mixture of chewed wood and humus. Between March and October workers collect and carry mainly sugary liquid substances and solid materials (remains of arthropods, small insects, etc. ). Formicidae - Crematogaster scutellaris-001

Formicidae - Crematogaster scutellaris-001

Spawning usually takes place during the summer. This species is very prolific. The larvae hatch primarily in September and overwinter in the second stage, from November to February at about 10 °C. The following spring the third

instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...

larvae develop, pupating in the summer. By mid to late summer the worker appear, while sexed individuals appear in late August. These ants are natural predators of ''

Thaumetopoea pityocampa The pine processionary (''Thaumetopoea pityocampa'') is a moth of the subfamily Thaumetopoeinae in the family Notodontidae, known for the irritating hairs of its caterpillars, their processions, and the economic damage they cause in coniferous ...

'', a moth that is a devastating pest of Mediterranean pines (especially '' Pinus halepensis''). They also transport live aphids into oak-gall nests. Currently there is no evidence of immediate predation of these aphids inside the galls, so they are likely stored to overwinter due to a mutualistic relationship and/or serve as food storage.

Distribution

This species has a typically Mediterranean distribution. It is present in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, in the

Near East The ''Near East''; he, המזרח הקרוב; arc, ܕܢܚܐ ܩܪܒ; fa, خاور نزدیک, Xāvar-e nazdik; tr, Yakın Doğu is a geographical term which roughly encompasses a transcontinental region in Western Asia, that was once the hist ...

and in

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

References

* Olivier, 1792 : Encyclopédie méthodique. Histoire naturelle. Insectes. Tome 6. Paris, p. 369-704
Fauna Europaea

External links

* Insects described in 1792 scutellaris {{Crematogaster-stub