Crematogaster atkinsoni

Nests in a variety of both arborial situations or fallen logs on the ground near water, often building conspicuous carton nests. (Johnson 1988)

Identification
Johnson 1988 - Crematogaster atkinsoni and Crematogaster pilosa may co-occur together in the same habitat and require care in identification.

The species typically occurs only about salt and freshwater marshes along the southern Coastal Plain and a distinct color variant having a rosy - red color over the whole body occurs in scattered localities along the salt marshes bordering the North Florida Gulf Coast. These ants are very distinct in color and the propodeal spines are slightly thicker in some specimens but no other morphological characters separate the two forms. The red variant constructs carton nests in and about the marsh, often above standing water, high enough to escape the tides. Other nests may occur within grass stems on dry land bordering the marsh, but even in these nests a carton component occurs at the base of the grass stems. Within the same marshes, the dark-colored, typical C. atkinsoni morph occurs nesting in a variety of circumstances but using a wide array of nest sites often with no carton involved.

Distribution
Johnson 1988 - Occurs in and about both fresh and salt water marshes or similar habitats of the Coastal Plain from North Carolina through Florida to the Keys including inland sites and west along the coast to at least Alabama.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States.



Nomenclature

 *  atkinsoni. Crematogaster atkinsoni Wheeler, W.M. 1919g: 108, fig. 16 (w.) U.S.A. Wheeler, W.M. 1932a: 9 (q.m.). Combination in C. (Acrocoelia): Creighton, 1950a: 207; in C. (Crematogaster): Buren, 1968b: 92. Senior synonym of helveola: Creighton, 1950a: 207. See also: Johnson, C. 1988: 316.
 * helveola. Crematogaster atkinsoni var. helveola Wheeler, W.M. 1919g: 109 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. Junior synonym of atkinsoni: Creighton, 1950a: 207. [Original q.m. of helveola type-series were misidentified and are correctly ashmeadi: Smith, D.R. 1979: 1377.]