Formica rufa, commonly known as the southern wood ant or red wood ant is found in the boreal regions and was first described by Linneaus. It is a native of Eurasia, and its reported range extends from central Scandinavia to northern Iberia and Anatolia, as well as from Great Britain to Lake Baikal. Unconfirmed reports also claim that it has made it as far as the Russian Far East.
Appearance of Formica
Worker
2-4,5 mm in length. From brown-yellow to bright yellow, color ranges. The hair on the body and legs is generally aligned with the form of the body. The hair on the head is sparser, and the eyes are small. On the top of the abdomen and middle body segment, there are long hairs that rise up, distinguishing this species from the closely related Lasius bicornis species. On the post petiole, the first portion of the abdomen, the species lacks these hairs. The center segment’s upper portion is wider than the lower halves. Humans are able to detect a faint citrus aroma emanating from them. The rare Lasius carniolicus has one of the strongest citrus scents of all the Lasius species.
The size of Lasius flavus workers might vary depending on the environment. The workers’ size differences amongst one another are substantially more varied in the northern regions of their distribution range (such as Scandinavia). The flavus workers’ sizes are more or less the same in the southern regions.
Queen
7-9 mm in length. The queen is more brown than her daughters’ worker yellow counterparts (varies between light and dark brown, but her underbody is always lighter). similar hairs to the employees. Clearly, the head is smaller than the body’s front portion as a whole. Numerous short hairs cover the eyes.
Males
3–4 mm in length. More of a black and brown or dark brown tone than the queen, in terms of hue. The lengthy inner segment of the antennae is hairless. The head is smaller than the front section of the body, just like the queen.
Distribution
Europe as a whole, with the exception of its southernmost regions, is home to Formica Rufa. The red wood ant has a broad range of distribution. from Northern Europe’s central region all the way east to Mongolia.
Lifespan
Unfortunately, academics have not verified these figures. Although Formica rufa’s lifespan is mentioned widely online, it should be viewed more as an enthusiast’s best guess: The queens lived for ten years. The employees have a lifespan of 1-3 years.
Captivity
Getting your hands on a colony of Formica rufas is difficult. The reason why most ant stores don’t sell the species is a little hazy. Furthermore, because they build huge nests, this species is not one that is particularly simple to go out and capture. The method by which they discovered colonies just makes it more challenging. Simply said, it is more difficult to go out and capture a new queen than it is with many other ant species.
If you keep Formica rufa, it’s crucial to keep in mind that they require a sizable formicarium. Otherwise, if the colony expands and becomes agitated, they may poison their own air in the formicarium with formic acid and commit suicide.
Nest Dispersal
Since wood ants often have many nests, they can relocate if the environment undergoes significant changes. This nest splitting results in the development of several daughter nests. Wood ants move for a variety of reasons. For instance, a change in the amount of food supplies available, an attack by members of another colony, or a modification to the nest itself.
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