Woodland Red Ant | Hainault Forest

Woodland Red Ant

Myrmica ruginodis

Over fifty species of ant exist in Britain, seven belong to the Myrmica family which typically have deep red colouration and the ability to inflict a weak sting. This is the most common Myrmica found in Britain. It lives in small colonies containing between 100-300 members and each colony may contain many egg-producing queens. Nests are built in tree trunks, decaying timber and under stones. There are two sub-species, one which has queens noticeably larger than the workers, the other with queens almost the same size as the worker. This aggressive woodland species feeds on insects and arachnids. Mating flights occur in July and August.

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