Acrobat Ant

Heart- or valentine-shaped gaster visible in dorsal view, diagnostic. Two petiole nodes attach to the top of the gaster rather than the front, allowing workers to flip the abdomen forward over the body when disturbed. Spines on the rear of the thorax. Color varies from light tan to nearly black depending on species.

Colonies are moderate (several thousand workers) with a single queen and short, well-defined trails. Often nests in pre-existing voids, old carpenter ant galleries, abandoned termite work, water-damaged wood, foam insulation board, and behind aluminum siding where condensation has degraded sheathing. Tends honeydew-producing aphids and scale insects heavily and will trail tens of meters into tree canopies.

Indicator pest, when found indoors, almost always reveals a moisture-damaged or already-excavated structural void. Damage is excavation of soft wood and foam, not consumption. Stripping wires of insulation has been documented around exterior junction boxes.

Inspect for the source of the soft wood or foam void and correct it. Treat the active gallery directly with dust through a small access hole, then bait outdoor trails. Manage honeydew-producing landscape pests near the structure or the colony returns from canopy populations.

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