The term “red wood ant” refers to several species complexes of forest ants found in the Northern Hemisphere. In France, 6 species of so-called “wood ants” have been identified.

They are easily recognizable: their head and abdomen are black or dark reddish-brown, while their thorax is brick red. As adults, they reach about 1 cm in size.

These ants do not sting. To defend themselves, the red wood ant curls its abdomen under its thorax so that the tip points forward and upward, and sprays a jet of formic acid (which can reach over 50 centimeters). They also use their mandibles to tear apart their prey and inject acid into the wounds they inflict.

The upper part of their nests are domes made of twigs, often built at the base of a tree or on an old stump at the edge of wooded areas. The visible part of the nest can reach up to 1.5 meters in height, but the underground section is much larger.

Colonies of Formica rufa consist of a main dome surrounded by several secondary domes within a radius of a few dozen meters. All these domes are connected by surface and underground trails radiating in all directions. Such a colony can house millions of individuals.

Red wood ants are protected in several countries due to their ecological importance. They play a key role in recycling organic matter and regulating insect populations.