What species of ant is this?

[Widowman10]

i believe this is a wood ant of some sort, but would like to know for certain or even narrow it down if anybody knows for sure...

they are about 1/4" long, red on head/thorax, black on abdomen. don't sting. build a mound out of tiny sticks (about 1/2-3/4" long) that stands about 6" high and 1.5' in diameter.

here are some pics (i can get more if needed).

close up:

top view:

underneath:

side view:

close view of mound:

 

[agama]

no ant keeper or expert but they look like bull ants

 

[Widowman10]

silly me, i guess i should say where these are: colorado

i don't think they are bull ants. do bulldog ants live outside australia?

 

[agama]

not sure then i dont know many ants:razz:

 

[cacoseraph]

so they make a mound out of that stuff? that's kinda crazy looking. neat

 

[Widowman10]

so they make a mound out of that stuff? that's kinda crazy looking. neat

yeah, it's actually a big mound made out of little sticks and rabbit poo believe it or not :?

it is pretty sweet looking, never seen anything like it before here in CO

 

[agama]

well that explains;P :wall: :?

 

[Widowman10]

it's actually a big mound made out of little sticks and rabbit poo

maybe they could just be called the "crappy 'bundle of sticks' ants"

 

[Draiman]

Looks like a species of carpenter to me. Camponotus sp. Just a guess based on physical appearance though.

 

[Widowman10]

well, the interesting thing is they built their hill about 40ft. from the red harvester ant hill in my yard. the harvesters clear the vegetation from around the hill, whereas these ants don't, they just bring in little sticks and poo.

 

[myrmecophile]

It is a species of Formica, many of which build thatch covered mounds.

 

[bhoeschcod]

Maybe formica rufa but im no expert

 

[Widowman10]

It is a species of Formica, many of which build thatch covered mounds.

thank you :worship:

 

[Tecnition4life]

I saw this same species of ants with the same type of hill when i was out herping in Fort Collins but no idea what they are.

 

[Andrew273]

Gorgeous ants. I wish I could find some of those. Would be awesome to have a colony...

 

[AbraxasComplex]

I recall those from my childhood. We found mounds that were 2 or 3 feet tall. They also had a nasty bite. We just called them red ants.

 

[Widowman10]

haha, they do have a pretty decent bite!

at least they don't sting, like the big red harvesters do.

 

[Bigboy]

Thatch ants

 

[Widowman10]

Thatch ants

thank you! :clap:

 

[joshuai]

Go piss them off once and then smell the mound they actually spray chemical defences, when yo make them mad look at them they pull their abdomen under them and fire from their belly like a gun.