Red Wood Ant Formica rufa

Wood Ants, the UK's largest ants, live in large mound nests that they build from twigs and leaves in woodland and on heaths. They climb tall trees to forage for aphids (honeydew and bodies) and other insect prey. Red Wood Ants have a rufous thorax with black head and abdomen. Workers grow to 10mm long and queens to 12mm.

Southern or Red Wood Ants are native to much of Europe including southern UK. (Northern or Hairy Wood Ants are found in Scotland and the northern part of the UK.)

Like bees and wasps, to which ants are related, the large colonies have one or more large queens, a few males and a large number of female (non-breeding) workers who have specific tasks such as foragers, care of larvae, repair of nest and soldiers. If the nest is disturbed, formica species of ants not only bite intruders but also spray them with formic acid.