Formica cinerea
DifficultyIntermediate · 5/7
Kept by BrumaSpecies comparison
Formica cinerea vs Lasius emarginatus
Side by side: difficulty, size, growth, climate, hibernation and nuptial flights, from the data and sources of each species sheet.
Head to head
| Formica cinerea | Fact | Lasius emarginatus |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping | ||
| Difficulty | ||
5/7 Intermediate | Difficulty | Easier3/7 Beginner |
| Escape risk | ||
High | Escape risk | LowerMedium |
| Diet | ||
SugarInsects | Diet | SugarInsects |
| Best nests | ||
Ytong nest · Sandwich nest · Acrylic nest | Best nests | Ytong nest · Sandwich nest · Acrylic nest |
| Colony | ||
| Growth | ||
FasterVery fast | Growth | Fast |
| Colony size | ||
Reaches 10,000 workers | Colony size | No data yet |
| Workers | ||
4–8 mm All the same size | Workers | 3–5 mm All the same size |
| Queen | ||
8–11 mm | Queen | 7–9 mm |
| Colony founding | ||
Fully claustral One or more queens | Colony founding | Fully claustral One queen |
| Defense | ||
Bites · Sprays formic acid | Defense | Bites · Sprays formic acid |
| Climate | ||
| Nest temperature | ||
21–27 °C | Nest temperature | 21–27 °C |
| Nest humidity | ||
50–60 % | Nest humidity | 50–60 % |
| Hibernation | ||
5–8 °C Oct – Mar | Hibernation | 5–8 °C Oct – Mar |
| Nuptial flights | ||
Jun – Aug | Nuptial flights | Jun – Aug |
| Native range | ||
Europe, Asia | Native range | Europe |
Size to scale
Formica cinerea
Workers · 4–8 mmQueen · 8–11 mmLasius emarginatus
Workers · 3–5 mmQueen · 7–9 mm
Their year side by side
Formica cinerea : Hibernation: Oct – Mar, Nuptial flights: Jun – Aug
Lasius emarginatus : Hibernation: Oct – Mar, Nuptial flights: Jun – Aug
Months for temperate Europe and the Mediterranean. The weather decides the exact days, so flights can come earlier or later where you live.
How to tell them apart
Formica cinerea
Almost black workers with a silvery gray sheen, large eyes and dark reddish legs. They run very fast and on irregular paths, which makes them hard to follow.
- Watch out Escapes are most likely during outworld maintenance, because the workers move so fast and irregularly: work calmly and keep an eye on every ant until the setup is closed again.
- Tip A white Ytong nest suits this species well, because the almost black workers stand out against it and every chamber is easy to watch.
Lasius emarginatus
Workers and queens have a clearly reddish thorax between a dark brown head and gaster, which sets them apart from the all-black Lasius niger. They are small, busy ants that dig complex tunnel systems in soil.
- Tip Because the colony grows fast, the brood needs a lot of protein: keep insects like crickets, worms or fruit flies coming alongside the sugar water.
- Tip A Ytong nest suits it well: it holds moisture, and the white surface contrasts with the dark head and gaster of the workers, so they are easy to watch.
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