| Formica rufa species group | |
|---|---|
| Formica rufa worker | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Genus: | Formica |
| Species group: | F. rufa species group |
The Formica rufa group is a sub-generic group within the genus Formica, first proposed by William Morton Wheeler. It contains the large, mound-building species of Formica commonly termed "wood ants".
The British members of the Formica rufa group are as follows:
This certain breed of ant can inhabit open wood with both hard and soft woods, dense pine forests, and even moor land. These ants are tiny, only about 10 millimeters long. Nevertheless they can produce formic acid in their abdomens and eject it 12 centimetres in the air.
North American members include: