The Red Wood Ant builds large, domed mounds of pine needles and plant material in coniferous forests, with a single mound sometimes housing over a million workers from multiple queens. Workers spray formic acid as a defense, which gave the ant family Formicidae its name. The mounds act as solar collectors, maintaining temperatures vital for larval development.
Habitat
Coniferous and mixed forests, especially with pine
Diet
Adults: honeydew from aphids, insects, and seeds. Larvae: insect prey
How common
Uncommon
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