Mound-building-ant
Guides
Formica densiventris
Compact Mound Ant
Formica densiventris is a North American ant species in the genus Formica, described by Viereck in 1903. It is known by the common name Compact Mound Ant. The species belongs to the subfamily Formicinae and is part of the diverse Formica genus, which includes many socially parasitic and mound-building species. Available information about this species is limited in the provided sources.
Formica obscuripes
Western Thatching Ant
Formica obscuripes, the western thatching ant, is a North American mound-building ant known for constructing large thatched nests from plant materials. Colonies can contain up to 40,000 workers and demonstrate complex social organization including behavioral constancy in worker task performance. The species employs hybrid foraging strategies combining pheromone-marked columns with visual and path integration navigation. It maintains defensive mutualisms with aphids and exhibits aggressive territorial behavior including the use of formic acid against intruders and competing vegetation.
Formica ulkei
Ulke's mound ant, mound-building ant
Formica ulkei is a mound-building ant species in the family Formicidae, described by Carlo Emery in 1893 and named after mineralogist Titus Ulke. The species constructs distinctive thatched mound nests in sandy prairie habitats and has been documented to host a specialized community of myrmecophilous beetles. It occurs in the north-central United States, with historical studies focusing on populations in Illinois and surrounding areas.