Wood ant, Formica rufa
Wood ant, Formica rufa (submitted by NaturePlus user Coracle)
This is one of the largest ants found in the UK, with workers up to 8mm long, and can be found across southern Britain, mainly in deciduous woods.
Formica rufa is 1 of around 200 species of wood ant, also known as field or mound ants. With the help of a magnifying glass or microscope, it can be distinguished from other wood ants as it lacks a fringe of hairs on the eyes and back of the head.
The conspicuously large nest mounds can be over 1 metre in diameter and established colonies have around 100,000 workers, which can consume over 10 million insects in a year. They also tend aphids for honeydew.
Like other Formica species, this ant can secrete formic acid if threatened.
