Scientific illustration of Formica orangea ant - showing key identification features including head, thorax, and gaster.

Formica orangea

Monogynous Non-Parasitic Queen No Gamergate
Sci. Name
Formica orangea
Tribe
Formicini
Subfamily
Formicinae
Author
Seifert & Schultz, 2009
Distribution
Found in 5 countries
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Introduction

Formica orangea is a medium-sized ant in the Formica rufibarbis group, first described in 2009 . Workers have a bright orange-red head, thorax, legs, and petiole, with a dark brown gaster (abdomen) . They are native to Central Asia, ranging from Iran and Afghanistan through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to Mongolia, at elevations of 400–2200 m . They prefer dry steppe and semi-desert habitats, often near rivers or lakes, and will invade rural areas and gardens . Their nests are built in moderately dry sand with distinctive slanted entrances . Workers forage on trees and probably tend honeydew-producing insects .

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Status by country, from Kass et al. 2022 & Wong et al. 2023

Native Invasive Introduced (indoor) Intercepted Unknown
Data Sources
Year Range 2000 - 2026

Quick Summary

  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Origin & Habitat: Central Asia – from Iran to Mongolia (Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan) [1][3]. Found in dry steppe and semi-desert near rivers or lakes at 400–2200 m elevation [1]. Nests in moderately dry sand with slanted gateways [1].
  • Colony Type: Likely single-queen (monogyne) based on typical Serviformica patterns, but unconfirmed. Colony size is not directly documented, estimated several hundred workers based on related Formica species.
  • Size & Growth:
    • Queen: Body length not documented, inferred 6–9 mm based on related Formica species.
    • Worker: Body length not

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References

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This caresheet is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 .