Native to the arid landscapes of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, Formica perpilosa is a distinctive North American ant species prized for its striking colouration and energetic behaviour. Often referred to as the Desert Formica, this species stands out with its reddish head and thorax contrasting against a dark abdomen, complemented by the fine hairs covering its body.
Unlike many Formica species associated with cooler climates, F. perpilosa is adapted to hot, dry environments, particularly desert washes, river valleys and areas around shrubs and trees. Colonies typically nest in the soil, often near the base of vegetation, where workers forage for sugary plant secretions, honeydew and small invertebrates.
These ants are particularly interesting to observe because of their active foraging, rapid recruitment and defensive behaviour when their nest is disturbed. Their adaptation to challenging desert environments makes them a fascinating addition to any collection of North American ants.
If you're looking for a distinctive Formica species with attractive red-and-black colouration and plenty of activity to observe, Formica perpilosa is well worth exploring.
Key Features
Striking bicoloured North American species, with a reddish head and thorax contrasting against a dark abdomen.
Distinctive, hairy appearance that makes this species stand out among Formica ants.
Active, fast-moving workers with fascinating foraging and defensive behaviour.
Adapted to warm environments, including desert washes, valleys and areas near watercourses.
A desirable species for ant keepers looking to explore the diversity of North American Formica ants.
Keeping difficulty: Intermediate (experience with at least one exotic species or two successfully kept European species recommended)
Colony form: Typically monogynous (one queen per colony)
Queen size: Approximately 7–8 mm; reddish head and thorax, dark abdomen.
Worker size: Approximately 4–7 mm; red and dark bicoloured appearance.
Food: Insects and other small invertebrates for protein, alongside honey water, sugar water or other suitable carbohydrate sources. Does not specialise in seed harvesting.
Temperature: 22–27°C, with a temperature gradient and a warmer area available.
Humidity: Provide a moisture gradient within the nest, with a suitably moist section and drier areas. Avoid keeping the entire nest excessively damp.
Founding: Fully claustral. The queen can establish her colony without feeding until the first workers emerge. Occasional small food offerings may be considered if necessary, but feeding is not normally required during founding.
Colony size: Typically a few hundred to a few thousand workers; the precise maximum is not firmly established.
Hibernation: A winter diapause is recommended. A period of approximately 6–8 weeks at a reduced temperature.
UK leading ant supplier:
We are the UK’s leading ant supplier in terms of volume of ants sold every year. We have been going for over 5 years and have had 1000s of happy customers every year with consistently high feedback.
Live arrival guarantee:
We guarantee the live arrival of your Queen they come well packed in our jiffy bags which have two-sided padding as well as an additional layer of bubble wrap around our test tubes. We are the only company in the United Kingdom to offer our live arrival guarantee of your queen as well as an additional 14-day guarantee if the colony if kept in the original test tube for all our European species. Why do we do this? We are confident with our colony’s health and our packaging process as well as our care guides, we also believe in our customers and making sure they have a good ant keeping experience.
Be aware of sellers only using the Live arrival guarantee and not the 14-day additional warranty on European ant species it might be slightly cheaper but could end up paying more in the long run, also all our products are sold as starter kits including food and a pipette.
We do require photographic evidence of the queen in the original test tube for validating the guarantee once outside the test tube and in a nest the environment is outside of our control.
It is illegal to release non-native species of ants into the wild and could damage the local ecosystem so bare this in mind we have a duty to our environment.
Live arrival guarantee we ensure the live arrival of the queen only upon delivery contact us within 24-48 hours of receiving the Queen dead on arrival with a picture of the dead queen and the original workers. DO NOT TRANSFER THE DEAD QUEEN OR WORKERS TO A NEST AS THIS VOIDS YOUR WARRNTY. For our additional 14-day guarantee for European species the Queen and workers must be kept in the original test tube sealed with the cotton and care sheet instructions followed if you want to keep this additional guarantee do not transfer to a nest or your warranty is VOIDED (we recommend you keep the 14-day warranty).
We have no control over the environment outside the test tube and have no influence in the conditions the responsibility once placed outside the test tube within the 14-day period the responsibility is with the buyer. 9 times out of 10 colonies die in the nest due to lack of water access, food, temperature, oxygen, or stress due to vibrations or exposure to excess light. If your colony does fail inside a nest contact us, we can advise what went wrong but it is up to you to buy another ant colony, you will succeed but sometimes it does not work the first time. Research is key to success with ant keeping and follow our guides.
