Fire ants, specifically Myrmica rubra, are an intriguing species of ants that have gained recognition for their aggressive behaviour and powerful stings. Fire ants possess a unique and distinct walking style that showcases their dominance and territorial behaviour. This "boss" style walk sets them apart from other ant species and adds to their captivating allure.
While they are commonly referred to as fire ants, they do not possess the fiery red colouration often associated with other fire ant species. Instead, Myrmica rubra showcases a dark red or brownish-orange hue, making them easily distinguishable from other ant species. They are also known as European Fireant and Red ants.
You might not be familiar that this species has two types of queen ants, one is bigger than the workers so around 7-8mm and the other aka microqueen is similar in size to the workers, 5-6mm. How can you identify a queen? The queen's thorax (middle part of the body) is way bigger and muscular than the workers.
Very easy to keep so suitable for beginner antkeepers, they have a potent sting and if you get stung it's like a stinging nettle. Please keep this in mind and wear nitrile gloves while handling them.
Ant Farm requirements:
Air humidity: outworld: 30 - 50% and in the nest: 65 - 80%;
Temperature: outworld: overnight 18 and maximum daily temperature 28°C. In the nest area: 21 - 25°C.
Suitable ant farms are the A7 Ant Farm and the A6 Complete Ant Setup. If you'd like to monitor the temperature and humidity levels inside the ant farm, then we'll recommend the A7 Plus and A6 Ant Farm Kit with Meter.
Do not waste your money and read this article: Ant Farm Kits Everything You Need to Know Before Making a Purchase
These unique ants are native to Europe. Myrmica rubra thrives in highly humid environments, typically found in meadows, mossy areas, and grassy landscapes. They exhibit a polygynous social structure, meaning that multiple queens can coexist within a single colony, leading to the formation of massive super-colonies with thousands of workers. Sometimes, a single colony has more than 100 queens.
Myrmica rubra queens measure approximately 5-7.5mm in length and display a dark red colouration. In contrast, the workers range from 3-6mm in size and exhibit a combination of dark red, brown, and orange hues. Some queens are the same size as the workers and what makes them different is the size of their thorax, it's bigger.
Find out everything you need to know about how to look after fire ants: Fire Ants: The Fascinating World of Myrmica Rubra - Red Ant