Narrow-headed Ant vs Discothyrea Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Narrow-headed Ant Discothyrea Ant
Scientific Name Formica exsecta Discothyrea testacea
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Formicidae
Size 4-7 mm 1.5-2 mm
Habitat Heathland Underground
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, Northern Asia Southern Europe, North Africa
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Narrow-headed Ant

A bicolored red and black wood ant with a distinctly notched head. It builds low thatched mounds in open heathland and is declining across much of its European range.

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Did You Know?

In the UK it is one of the rarest ant species and is legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Discothyrea Ant

An extremely small and rarely seen ant with only a single-segmented antennal club, unique among ants. It nests deep in soil and rotting wood across southern Europe.

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Did You Know?

Its single-segment antennal club is found in no other ant genus, making it instantly recognizable to myrmecologists.