Workers are roughly 4–7 mm.
Fine-art photographic collection
Formica fusca
A versatile dark field ant that thrives from woodland edges to mountain habitats.
About this species
Formica fusca(Linnaeus, 1758)
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Formica fusca is a widespread Eurasian field ant. It nests in soil, beneath stones or in decaying wood and is an important host species for several socially parasitic ants.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Formicidae · Formica
Source checked · checked 2026-07-15
Europe and northern AsiaBroad documented localities — not a complete range map.
Across much of Europe and northern Asia.
Woodland edge, heath, grassland, gardens and montane habitats.
Diurnal during warm weather, with workers foraging singly or along weak trails.
Honeydew, nectar and a broad range of arthropod food.
Colonies may have one or several queens and are usually smaller than red wood-ant colonies.
What makes this species remarkable?
Queens of some other Formica species invade fusca-group colonies to establish their own societies.
Workers are agile and visually alert but generally less aggressive than red wood ants.
The species occupies a wide climatic range, including cool northern regions.