Workers are about 4–7 mm.
Fine-art photographic collection
Formica rufibarbis
A warm-ground field ant with red flanks and exceptional running speed.
About this species
Formica rufibarbis(Fabricius, 1793)
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Formica rufibarbis is a thermophilic field ant of open European habitats. Workers forage rapidly over the ground and collect both honeydew and animal prey.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Formicidae · Formica
Source checked · checked 2026-07-15
Europe and western AsiaBroad documented localities — not a complete range map.
Europe into western Asia, especially in warmer lowland regions.
Dry grassland, heath, dunes, roadsides, quarries and open urban ground.
Diurnal and strongly associated with warm, sunny conditions.
Honeydew, nectar, carrion and captured arthropods.
Ground nests are usually headed by one queen, though colony structure varies regionally.
What makes this species remarkable?
Workers combine dark upper surfaces with reddish sides and legs.
The species often persists in disturbed urban sites where patches of bare warm soil remain.
It can act as a temporary host during colony founding by socially parasitic Formica.
Sources and scientific references
More photographs
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