Formica Ants

Learn about ants of the genus Formica, including the wood ants and the slave-maker ant.

Formica ants are a genus of medium to large ants found across the Northern Hemisphere. The genus includes the wood ants. They are highly social insects that live in large colonies, often building mound-shaped nests from soil and plant material, and are known for their aggressive defence using formic acid, a chemical named after them. Formica ants play an important ecological role by controlling other insect populations, aerating soil, and sometimes farming aphids for honeydew, with some species even capturing workers from other ant species to support their colonies.

This entoLEARN webinar will explore the species of ant within the genus Formica that occur in the UK. Gary Skinner will explore aspects of their ecology, behaviour, distribution and identification.

At the end of the session, learners should have a deeper understanding of the British Formica species of ant:

• Formica aquilonia (Scottish Wood Ant)
• Formica cunicularia
• Formica exsecta (Narrow-headed Ant)
• Formica fusca (Large Black Ant)
• Formica lemani
• Formica lugubris (Northern Wood Ant)
• Formica picea (Black Bog Ant)
• Formica pratensis (Black-backed Meadow Ant)
• Formica rufa (Red Wood Ant)
• Formica rufibarbis (Red Barbed Ant)
• Formica sanguinea (Blood-red Slave-making Ant)

This session is perfect for naturalists, entomologists, and anyone curious about the hidden diversity in our gardens and countryside. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, you'll leave with a deeper appreciation for these remarkable insects.

The 90-minute event will consist of a 1-hour presentation followed by a Q&A with the tutor using questions provided by the live audience. The presentation will be recorded and made available following the event to those booked, alongside a transcript of the Q&A and useful links.

entoLEARN

Our entoLEARN programme provides training on UK invertebrates through live webinars and online self-study courses, with subject specialists presenting aspects of the biology, ecology and behaviour of UK species.

This webinar is part of our Bees, Wasps, Ants & Sawflies series:

1. Formica Ants (30 Jun 2026)
2. Lasius Ants (22 Sep 2026)
3. Myrmica Ants (01 Dec 2026)
4. Bumblebees of the UK (Online self-study course)
5. Social Wasps of the UK (Online self-study course)

If you have missed a webinar and would like to purchase access to the recorded content, please email us at info@biologicalrecording.co.uk

Ant Specialist: Gary Skinner

Gary Skinner began a degree in chemistry but soon decided to swap to biology and obtained a degree in 1972. He then went on to study the wood ant Formica rufa for his PhD. After this he went on to a career in teaching until his retirement in 2008. In the 80s whilst on a trip to Skomer he saw a little book on British buttercups and thought 'I could do one on ants'. That was published in 1987 and its success led him to think about a Naturalists’ Handbook, which came out in 1996. Teaching in a boarding school was very demanding but he managed to fit in some ant observing, especially in the 90s when he undertook survey work in the Northwest of England during a sabbatical term. He has written extensively across the biological sciences and was editor of the magazine Catalyst for 10 years until 2017. In retirement he has continued to write and mark GCSE and A level examinations.