Thatch-mound
Guides
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.