Description

This is a common, heat-loving and claustral ant species that makes its nests in the ground, with either a single or multiple-queen colony structure. Secondarily, may function with multiple queens, but in captivity, they typically work well with a single queen. The queen is easily recognizable from an overhead view due to the red “backpack-like” pattern on her back. The workers have black heads and abdomens, red thoraxes, and smoky spots. Red color is also visible on the head, between the eyes and mandibles. They are aggressive like other Formica species, they looking for food at ground level, on plants, and on tree trunks. The workers are 5 mm, but in a mature colony may occur 1-2 mm differences in size. Despite these size differences, they are not  polymorphic species. In addition to their strong mandibles, they use their acid for defense, so it is important to keep a mature colony in a well-ventilated formicarium with substrate, that can absorb the acid, when they are fed with living insects.

Food: Honey and insects.

Colony size: They reproduce rapidly in warm conditions. In the first year, they may raise 20-40 workers, but in the second year, the colony can reach up to 100 workers. A mature colony consist of several thousand workers. Typically,  the queen stops laying new eggs in autumn , and during hibernation period, there are no overwintering larvae or egg. In the following year the queen resumes egg-laying. The development from egg to worker takes approximately 4-6 weeks, depending on temperature and food availability.

Hibernation: At 5-8°C, from the end of November to the end of March. For more information, check this video.