The European Red Ant is a small insect also known as the European Fire Ant.  It is an orangy brown colour and not red like its name suggests.  It can be found throughout the country, but more of these ants can be seen in the south.  It often lives in a nest built under stones, logs, tree stumps and under paving stones in gardens.  This ant can be quite aggressive and will sting humans and pets.

The European Red Ant has a body that is divided into three distinct parts: the head, the thorax and the abdomen.  The thorax is the middle part of the body which holds three pairs of thin jointed legs.  Also between the thorax and the abdomen, the Red Ant has a tiny ‘waist’.  It also has two long antennae on the front of its head which bend downwards in the middle.

Red Ants usually live in small colonies consisting of around one hundred to three hundred ants and each colony has a queen ant that produces eggs.  Some colonies may have more than one queen.   The colony also has female workers and male flying ants. The queen ant is about one centimetre long and the workers are around five millimetres in length.  The queen and male flying ants can be seen flying around in August and September after which the queen loses her wings.