Florida Carpenter Ant vs European Red Wood Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Florida Carpenter Ant European Red Wood Ant
Scientific Name Camponotus floridanus Formica rufa
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Formicidae
Size 5-11 mm 4-9 mm
Habitat Woodlands Forests
Diet Omnivores Sap Feeders
Regions Southeastern United States Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Near Threatened

Florida Carpenter Ant

A bicolored carpenter ant with a reddish-orange head and thorax and black abdomen. It is the most common structural pest ant in Florida.

💡

Did You Know?

Florida carpenter ants have among the largest genomes of any ant species studied, containing around 240 million base pairs.

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.

💡

Did You Know?

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