Formica aquilonia is a species of wood ant of the genus Formica which are widely distributed in Europe and Asia, occurring from Scandinavia in the north to Bulgaria and Italy in the south, and from the UK eastwards through France and Germany to Russia, while they are also found in the coastal areas of the Sea of Okhotsk in eastern Siberia. They live mainly in coniferous forests but they do also occur in some deciduous woodlands. In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... The Formica rufa group is a sub-generic group within the genus Formica, first proposed by Wheeler. ... Species very many, see text Formica is a genus of ants. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the six inhabited continents of the Earth. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe. ... Map of the Sea of Okhotsk. ... Siberian Federal District (dark red) and the broadest definition of Siberia (red) Udachnaya pipe Siberia (Russian: , Sibir; Tatar: ) is a vast region of Russia constituting almost all of Northern Asia. ... Temperate coniferous forests are a terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. ... Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off). ...

Distribution in Scotland

Formica aquilonia occurs in the pinewoods of the Caledonian Forest throughout the Highlands. It has also been recorded in the birchwoods of Inverpolly National Nature Reserve and on the Isle of Skye off the west coast. Pinewood Studios is a major film studio that is situated approximately 20 miles west of London among the pine trees on what was the estate of Heatherden Hall in the village of Iver Heath in Iver Parish, in the county of Buckinghamshire, England. ... The Caledonian Forest is the name of a type of woodland that once covered vast areas of the Scottish Highlands, Scotland, UK. Today, however, all that remains is a mere 1% of the original forest in 35 isolated locations. ... Species Many species; see text and classification Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. ... Looking towards Quiraing, Skye. ...

Conservation status

Formica aquilonia is included on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of threatened species, where they are classified as Lower Risk. Because of concerns about their future here, Formica aquilonia, the species are the subject of Species Action Plans, as part of the UK's strategy for protecting biological diversity. Biodiversity or biological diversity is a neologism and a portmanteau word, from bio and diversity. ...

Physical characteristics

All the wood ants have a distinctive red and black covering.