Description

The one of the largest ant species in Europe! It is a monogyne, claustral ant species. Their workers has reddish-brown thorax, black head, and black gaster, their length is around 7-13 mm. They are polymorph so they can appear in three different sizes: minor, media, and major. Majors have a large, robust head. In addition to their strong mandibles, they defend themselves by formic acid. Tough ant species, they can tolerate drier habitats well. They establish colonies with thousands of workers. In the nature they occur mainly in higher mountains and usually make their nests into wood, but occasionally, their nests can be found under fallen trees. Aggressive ants, their bite is powerful, but they aren’t dangerous to humans (they cannot bite through the skin). They become more active and develop faster in warmer conditions, but they may tend to become passive in too much heat. The expected lifespan of the queen can reach 10-15 years.

Feeding: Honey and insects.

Reproduction: In the beginning, the colony grows slowly, raising at most 10-20 workers in the first year, but by the third year, they can reach a 100 workers.

Hibernation: Recommended in 5-8°C, from late November to late March.
More information about the winter hibernation in this video (Please turn on the English subtitle)