Hairy Wood Ant vs Broad-backed Grouse Locust

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hairy Wood Ant Broad-backed Grouse Locust
Scientific Name Formica lugubris Nomotettix cristatus
Order Hymenoptera Orthoptera
Family Formicidae Tetrigidae
Size 4-8 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Carrion Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe, Northern Asia Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Hairy Wood Ant

A large mound-building ant of upland coniferous forests with noticeably hairy body surfaces. It forms polydomous colonies with multiple interconnected nests.

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Did You Know?

A supercolony in the Swiss Jura mountains contained over 1,200 interconnected nests spanning 70 hectares.

Broad-backed Grouse Locust

A pygmy grasshopper with a high crested pronotum that gives it a broad-backed appearance. It inhabits dry forest floors in eastern North America.

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Did You Know?

Its tall pronotal crest makes it look remarkably like a tiny piece of bark or wood chip on the forest floor.