Formica (raptiformica) sanguinea Slave Maker, Wood ant Queen with 25+ workers (UK delivery only)
£34.99
£49.99
- Taxonomy Formica Raptiformica Sanguinea
- Country of Origin Europe
- Easy, Skilled, Specialist Easy
- Colony size 4000+ when established
- Expected life expectancy
- Habitat Dry, soil, stones and dead wood
- Queen size 9-11mm
- Worker size 6-9mm
- Behaviour Known to steal pupae of other species to raise as slaves within the nest
- Lifecycle Hibernation required from late October-March
- Defence Can bite
- Warning Sprays formic acid
- Youtube link https://youtu.be/CMgS4G03cwA
- Nuptial flights Late June dependent on weather conditions
- Other information Fascinating creatures that require plenty of protein that helps to quickly establish a decent size brood, good colouration and inquisitive nature!
- F. sanguinea, are facultative slave-makers, meaning colonies can live either alone or be parasitic. This allows them to be a good model organism to study the origins of ant slave-making. A fertilized queen will enter the nest of the host ant species and kill their queen. She then takes advantage of the workers who tend to her and her brood. The workers will also raid nearby nests, stealing larvae and pupae to become future workers. The raids are also not exclusively for acquiring slave workers but are sometimes predation events.
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