Wildlife
In Britain, the Scottish wood ant is found in the Highlands, Skye and Arran, but also in Armagh in Northern Ireland. It is also found in Europe. They are carnivorous, and prey on many insects that eat pine needles, thus the ants help to keep their pine wood habitat healthy.
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Sunny side up
One side of a huge wood ant nest is seething with frenetic activity.
One side of a huge wood ant nest is seething with frenetic activity.
Wood ants
How the architects of the woodland floor build the perfect nest.
How the architects of the woodland floor build the perfect nest.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Scottish wood ant can be found in a number of locations including: Europe, United Kingdom. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Scottish wood ant distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Near Threatened
Year assessed: 1996
Classified by: IUCN 2.3
Formica aquilonia is a species of wood ant of the genus Formica which are widely distributed in Europe and Asia, occurring from Scandinavia in the north to Bulgaria and Italy in the south, and from the UK eastwards through France and Germany to Russia, while they are also found in the coastal areas of the Sea of Okhotsk in eastern Siberia. They live mainly in coniferous forests but they do also occur in some deciduous woodlands.
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Predation defence
Carnivorous
Co-operative breeding
Eusocial
Adapted to flying
Metamorphosis
Egg layer
Polymorphism
Predator
Chemical communication
Symbiotic
Venomous