European Red Wood Ant vs Green Tree Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute European Red Wood Ant Green Tree Ant
Scientific Name Formica rufa Oecophylla smaragdina subnitida
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Formicidae
Size 4-9 mm 5-10 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Sap Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Northern Australia
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

European Red Wood Ant

A large mound-building ant found across European forests. Workers are reddish-brown with a darker abdomen and aggressively spray formic acid when threatened.

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Did You Know?

A single wood ant colony can consume millions of pest insects per season, making them vital forest protectors.

Green Tree Ant

An Australian subspecies of the Asian weaver ant with distinctive bright green coloring. Indigenous Australians have traditionally eaten them and used their nests for medicinal purposes.

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Did You Know?

They taste like lime or lemongrass due to their high formic acid content and are eaten as bush food in northern Australia.