Red Wood Ant Queen
Formica rufa (queen)
The red wood ant queen begins life as a winged reproductive in woodland colonies and flies from the nest during warm mating flights. After mating, she usually sheds her wings and establishes or joins a nest chamber, where workers protect and feed her. Her diet is supplied by the colony and includes sugary honeydew and protein from captured insects. A single long-lived queen can produce the eggs that sustain a large thatched mound colony for many years.
- Type
- Wing
- Conservation status
- NT
Growth chain
- Red Wood Ant Larva
- Red Wood Ant Pupa
- Red Wood Ant
- Red Wood Ant Queen
- Red Wood Ant Drone