Not all slave-makers are equally adept at enslaving other ants. Facultative slave-makers like Formica subnuda are commonly found without slaves in their colonies. The slaves, if present ...

Wood ants, particularly those in the Formica rufa group, play a crucial role in forest ecosystems as keystone species. They are known for their mound-building behavior and their ability to ...

Our main study object is the mound-building ant Formica exsecta (pictured). We have extensive data on colony demographics, colony genetic structure, and dispersal behavior across 25 years. The full ...