Bug FAQBlack Cocktail Ant
Crematogaster peringueyi · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae
Source: Wikipedia
Workers are glossy black, 3 to 5 mm long, with heart-shaped abdomens; queens are about 8 mm. They live in trees and shrubs in southern Africa, nesting in old Protea flowers, hollow branches, bark, or papier-mâché-like nests.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
They are called black cocktail ants because of their black colour and the habit of arching their abdomens when alarmed. Workers and queens have glossy black, heart-shaped abdomens.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Workers measure 3 to 5 mm, while the larger queen is about 8 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
They are indirect pests of South African vineyards. The ants disrupt natural biological control of the vine pest Planococcus ficus.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
Their sting gland secretes a smelly, irritating fluid, and their bite is painful, deterring predators.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are an arboreal species found in southern Africa. Nests are built in old Protea flowers, dead hollow branches, under tree bark, or from chewed vegetable matter that resembles papier-mâché.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They also guard Common Opal larvae that excrete honeydew, defending them from parasitic wasps.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
A swollen tendon in the hind leg holds a reservoir of a non-volatile pheromone oil.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their native range is southern Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
They are mentioned together with Linepithema humile and Formica perpilosa as indirect vineyard pests.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Nevada.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Do they bite or sting?
Yes, they can bite and release an irritating fluid that feels like a mild sting.
Source: Wikipedia
What do black cocktail ants look like?
They are glossy black with heart-shaped abdomens; workers are 3 to 5 mm and queens about 8 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are they found?
They live in trees and shrubs in southern Africa, nesting in old Protea flowers, hollow branches, bark, or papier-mâché-like nests.
Source: Wikipedia
Are they a problem for vineyards?
Yes, they are indirect pests that interfere with natural control of the vine pest Planococcus ficus.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Formicidae)
Eastern Black Carpenter AntCamponotus pennsylvanicusCan damage your home
Red Imported Fire AntSolenopsis invictaCan sting
American Winter AntPrenolepis imparis
Argentine AntLinepithema humileNuisance, not dangerous
Immigrant Pavement AntTetramorium immigransCan sting
Odorous House AntTapinoma sessileCan damage your homeSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crematogaster_peringueyi
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.