Wood ants (Formica cinerea)

Formica cinerea · Formica
Wood ants (Formica cinerea). Recorded flying from June through August. Gray-black head, gray-black mesosoma, dark brown to black gaster. Uniformly ashy gray-black body with fine silvery pubescence, little regional contrast. Recorded near 6 of the 190 locations Dealate tracks.

When do wood ants fly?

Recorded flying from June through August.

Flight calendar

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Queen appearance

Gray-black head, gray-black mesosoma, dark brown to black gaster. Uniformly ashy gray-black body with fine silvery pubescence, little regional contrast.
fast, erratic bursts
Founding care
Needs a winter diapause: a cool, dark rest period each year.
Diet: Insects, meat, sugar water, honey etc.
Queen ~12 mm
Read more on AntWiki →
Care data from antkeeping.info (CC BY 4.0).

Habitat

Soil · also thatched mound · typical for this genus
After a flight, watch bare or grassy ground for wingless queens. Scan open ground near woodland for wandering queens and thatch mounds.

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