# Furrowed Ants (*Myrmica*)

Furrowed ants are small, hardworking insects that live in colonies. They are known for their unique grooves on their bodies and love to dig in the soil to make their homes.

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Furrowed Ants](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Myrmica_puceron.jpg&width=800)

Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Myrmica_puceron.jpg)

## Appearance

The Furrowed Ants has a reddish-brown to dark brown body with distinct, parallel grooves, or 'furrows', on its head and thorax. It possesses a two-segmented waist (petiole) and a noticeable, functional sting at its rear, making it visually distinct from smooth-bodied ant species.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Hymenoptera
- **Family:** Formicidae
- **Genus:** Myrmica

## Interesting facts

- Wow! Ants are found on every continent except icy Antarctica!
- Wow! Furrowed Ants often adopt butterfly caterpillars, feeding them inside their nests!
- Wow! Many ant species can hold their breath underwater for several hours!
- Wow! Some ants have two stomachs, one for themselves and one for sharing food with the colony!

## Special abilities

- **Venomous Sting:** Furrowed Ants can sting attackers with venom that helps them defend their nest and subdue small prey.
- **Pheromone Pathfinding:** Furrowed Ants can lay chemical trails that helps them guide other ants to new food sources or warn of danger.
- **Cold Resistance:** Furrowed Ants has a natural tolerance to cooler temperatures that helps them survive in temperate climates.

## Measurements & details

- **Size:** 4-6 mm
- **Lifespan:** 365-730 days
- **Leg Count:** 6
- **Colony Size:** 2000

## Diet & Feeding

These omnivores eat dead insects, sweet honeydew, and plant seeds they find while foraging.

- **Primary Foods:** dead insects, honeydew, plant seeds, fungi
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Parasitizes:** Large Blue butterfly (*Phengaris arion*) — Larvae trick ants into feeding them.
- **Symbiotic with:** Black Bean Aphid (*Aphis fabae*) — Ants protect aphids for their sugary honeydew.
- **Eaten by:** [Common Blackbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-blackbird) (*Turdus merula*) — Birds often forage for ants on the ground.

## Traits

- [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.
- [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Tool Use](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tool-use): This trait describes organisms that manipulate external objects to achieve a specific goal.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.
- [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Be careful not to disturb ant nests, as they can bite if they feel threatened.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Furrowed Ants?

Compare the antennae, waist segments, body proportions and size. Workers, queens and males of the same species can look surprisingly different. Ant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How big is Furrowed Ants?

4-6 mm

### How long does Furrowed Ants live?

365-730 days

### What does Furrowed Ants eat?

These omnivores eat dead insects, sweet honeydew, and plant seeds they find while foraging.

### Where is Furrowed Ants usually found?

Grasslands

### How does Furrowed Ants hunt?

Foraging

### How many legs does Furrowed Ants have?

6

### How large are Furrowed Ants colonies?

2000

## More Insects

- [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*)
- [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*)
- [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*)

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Source: [Furrowed Ants: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/furrowed-ants)