Myrmica ruginodis

Myrmica ruginodis is, alongside Myrmica rubra, one of the two red ants a British keeper is most likely to meet. It favours cooler, damper places — woodland edges, grassland, and gardens across the whole of the UK, further north and higher than most ants. For a beginner ready to move beyond Lasius, it is forgiving and endlessly active to watch.

Why it suits a confident beginner

• Widely available and hardy — tolerant of a broad range of temperatures and happy at room temperature.
• Fast, visible foraging — small, busy workers that explore the outworld readily.
• A gentle introduction to stinging ants — they can sting, but it is mild.

Keeping notes

Unlike fully claustral Lasius, Myrmica queens found semi-claustrally: many will raise their first workers alone, but a founding queen often does better if you offer a tiny amount of sugar and a small insect during founding. Watch her behaviour — if she is restless and searching, a small feed helps; if she is settled on her eggs, leave her be.

Keep the test tube reservoir topped up, as Myrmica like it a little more humid than Lasius. Growth is moderate, and mature colonies stay comfortably small — a few hundred to a couple of thousand workers — which makes them easy to house long term.

Hibernation is essential. As a native temperate species, M. ruginodis needs a cool winter rest of a few months at 5–15°C.

Telling it from Myrmica rubra

The two are very similar and often confused. M. ruginodis tends to favour cooler, shadier, damper habitats, while M. rubra is more of a warm-garden ant. For care purposes you can treat them almost identically.

Watch for

• Semi-claustral founding — offer modest food if the queen seems to need it.
• A mild sting — handle the outworld, not the ants.