Learn about ants of the genus Formica, including the wood ants and the slave-maker ant.
Formica ants are a genus of medium to large ants found across the Northern Hemisphere that includes the wood ants. They are highly social insects that live in large colonies, often building mound-shaped nests from soil and plant material, and are known for their aggressive defence using formic acid, a chemical named after them. Formica ants play an important ecological role by controlling other insect populations, aerating soil, and sometimes farming aphids for honeydew, with some species even capturing workers from other ant species to support their colonies.
This entoLEARN webinar will explore the species of ant within the genus Formica that occur in the UK. Gary Skinner will explore aspects of their ecology, behaviour, distribution and identification.