Crematogaster minutissima

Buckeye Myrmecology has been granted permits by the USDA which allow us to ship these ants to many states in the Continental US. All shipments of Crematogaster minutissima will include the relevant permit for your state and information on safe handling and disposal of these ants. States that we are allowed to ship Crematogaster minutissima to are listed below.

STATES AVAILABLE FOR SALE: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

Shipping Notice: Please note that ants are only shipped on Mondays to prevent colonies from being stuck in the mail over the weekend or exposed to poor weather for extensive periods. Orders placed after 12:00 PM EST on Sunday will be shipped one week later on the following Monday. If you are placing an order for UPS Next Day Air Saver and would like us to ship later in the week, please reach out to us via email. Live arrival is guaranteed, if your ants do not arrive in good condition, please take a picture of the ants and contact us within 2 hours of arrival. Please be available to bring your ants inside upon arrival during hot/cold weather, or ask your local post office to hold them for pickup. Shipping times are estimates, and are not guaranteed.

Species Difficulty: Intermediate, slower growth than more common Crematogaster species.

Max Colony Size, Growth Speed, and Structure: Crematogaster minutissima colonies don’t have a recorded maximum size, but are large, likely more than several thousand workers.¹ Their growth speed is unknown, but likely slower than other Crematogaster spp.. Colonies are polygynous, with several to many queens.¹

Worker/Queen Sizes and Polymorphism: Workers of Crematogaster minutissima are approximately 2-3 millimeters in length, and queens are 4-5 millimeters long.¹ Workers are monomorphic, with slight size variation.

Hibernation: This species can hibernate, but hibernation is optional and not recommended. To diapause Crematogaster minutissima, place the colony into a fridge/wine cooler, or another cold place that does not drop below freezing. It is important to provide them with a constant water source during diapause, and check on them every few weeks to ensure that they still have water. As they wake up from diapause, colonies will be lethargic, but will not appear to be dead. For more information about diapause, refer to our guide.

Feeding Requirements: Colonies require a constant source of sugars, typically either sugar water or honey. They accept common feeder insects for protein, such as superworms, mealworms, dubia roaches, and fruit flies. Proteins should be fed as often as the ants will accept them, or at least once a week.

Heating and Humidity: Heating can speed up brood development. Brood will prefer high humidity, while workers will prefer medium-high.

Nesting Habits and Escape Prevention: In the wild, Crematogaster minutissima forms nests in acorns/rotting wood, and each colony may have several nests.¹ In captivity, nests with higher humidity are recommended, such as AAC or UltraCal/grout. Talcum powder, olive oil, and Fluon can be used to prevent escape.

Development Time: Approximately 6-8 weeks egg-worker time depending on temperature and feeding.

Other notes: This genus is known for their unique, upturning gaster and the ability to spray venom at predators or prey to defend themselves. However, they cannot harm humans.