Hairy wood ant  (Formica lugubris)

Abdomen: in arthropods (crustaceans, insects and arachnids) the abdomen is the hind region of the body, which is usually segmented to a degree. In crustacea (e.g. crabs) the limbs attach to the abdomen; in insects the limbs are attached to the thorax (the part of the body nearest to the head) and not the abdomen. In vertebrates the abdomen is the part of the body that contains the internal organs (except the heart and lungs).
Palaearctic region: the region that includes Europe, the part of Asia to the north of the Himalyan-Tibetan barrier, North Africa and most of Arabia.
Rides: the footpaths and access tracks which run through and divide blocks of trees in woodland. Many rides contain a mixture of rich flora and structure, and provide different habitat conditions for a range of wildlife.
Thorax: part of the body located near the head in animals. In insects, the three segments between the head and the abdomen, each of which has a pair of legs.

1. UNEP-WCMC (Jan 2002):
   http://quin.unep-wcmc.org
   
2. Skinner, G. (1987) Ants of the British Isles. Shire Natural History, Shire Publications Ltd, Aylesbury.
   
3. UK Biodiversity. Species Action Plan (Jan 2002):
   http://www.ukbap.org.uk
   
4. Skinner, G. (1998) British wood-ants. British Wildlife, 10 (1): 1-8.
   
5. Pinchen, B.J.P. (2003). Pers. Comm.