Bug FAQLong-spined Acorn Ant
Temnothorax longispinosus · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae
Also called: Long-spined Divided Ant
The long-spined acorn ant is only about 2 to 2.5 mm long. It lives in forest leaf litter, nesting in pre-made spaces among the debris. Its range includes the eastern United States, eastern Canada, and parts of British Columbia.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Small protrusions are visible on the body near the gaster and petiole.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure between 2 and 2.5 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They prefer forest habitats and nest in leaf-litter structures.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 32 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Alabama.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where is the long-spined acorn ant found?
It occurs in the eastern United States, eastern Canada, and British Columbia.
Source: Wikipedia
What habitat do they live in?
They live in forest leaf litter and nest in pre-formed spaces there.
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/Temnothorax_longispinosus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.