Red-barbed ant  (Formica rufibarbis)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Range

First discovered in Great Britain in 1896, the red-barbed ant has always been considered rare (4). Historically it has been recorded from 6 sites on the mainland, all in Surrey (4), as well as at one site on St Martins in the Scilly Isles (5). At present the species clings on at just two of the Surrey sites, at Chobham Common and Bisley (4); it was still recorded in the Scilly Isles in 1997 (3). Elsewhere it is known from Portugal, reaching east to western Siberia, and from the Middle East as far north as Fennoscandia (5).

You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

Habitat

The red-barbed ant requires warm conditions; indeed it is thought to be the most heat-loving member of the genus Formica (3). The habitats in which it occurs therefore need to be open in order to allow sufficient sunlight to filter through to ground level (3). In Britain, this ant nests in short lowland grasslands, heather or coastal heath with bare sandy ground and disturbed soil (4).

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