Wood, Mound, and Field Ants
Wood, Mound, and Field Ants
Formica
Insecta
COMMON

Stats

Lifespan
1-15 yrs
Size
Small
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Social
Colony
Biome
Temperate forest
Range
Northern Hemisphere
Movement
Walking
Breeding
Egg-laying
Defense
Toxins
Status
Common

About

Formica ants are a genus of ants that live in colonies, and are the type genus of the Formicidae family. They are the largest ants in the world, measuring between 4 and 8 mm long.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    egg
    A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
  2. 2.
    juvenile
    An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
  3. 3.
    subadult
    A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
  4. 4.
    adult
    Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Hymenoptera
Family
Formicidae
Genus
Formica