Another genus I've been wanting to start a journal on is Formica. I think part of it is because they have eluded me for my first two years so to me they feel like a new adventure, but I also find their predatory and aggressive nature both fascinating and terrifying. I've come to really enjoy watching these ants, and they seem to grow quite quickly making them a good alternative to my many Camponotus colonies.
I've been lucky enough to come into ownership of some very exciting and less documented Formica species (for my state at least) after having purchased them from UtahAnts (the GOAT). I also finally had luck in catching my own Formica fusca group queens this year. There are more species in the Formica genus than of any other genus in Utah according to the data, but I only have seen three or four different species in the wild. There are still many more to be found locally and abroad in the state, and I hope to find some more this year in my searches.
Formica fusca group
I caught about ten of these queens this year, which has been very exciting since last year I only managed to catch one and she died within a few days. Formica is one of those species in Utah that you see in all of the canyons and mountains, they seem quite common, but it seems like the queens still manage to elude being found by most ant keepers until they get a bit more experienced. I'm not entirely sure why this is the case, but it seems like most people struggle to find them (myself included, until now). Unless you live in the Springville/Mapleton area where apparently they must just hang out because it seems like once or twice a year someone finds them just walking around on the sidewalk. Imagine that.
I think I will start with three queens to prevent losing them to any random deaths, and as they grow and stabilize I will sell off the remaining two, as my other large Formica colony eats an unearthly amount of food and I can't imagine keeping three of the same species.
Formica sp (Desert Formica 2023)
This species was purchased from UtahAnts I believe in August of 2023. He found them out in the deserts near Price and Green River (part of the Colorado Plateau). They came in a test tube setup with 2-3 workers. I also saw this same species during my time out in the deserts between Price and Green River, but never found a queen. I believe he only captured two queens, one which he sold to me and another that he sold to another local ant keeper. I don't believe this species has been properly identified yet, and I remember when he first posted about them many were claiming them to be a parasitic species, but that turned out not to be the case as they produced workers entirely on their own. There doesn't seem to be very much if any information about this species in Utah from hobbyists.
I wish I would have started a journal for these from the beginning, but I figured better late than never. This colony has seen absolutely insane growth. They have been one of my fastest growing colonies of all time. I started them in a test tube setup, and from there they went to a Mini Hearth, and now they're in a Fallen Fortress. I recently ordered a THA Mini Labyrinth that I will be moving them into soon. They also produced their first male alate this week (my first alate ever 
), and have some very large cocoons that I'm sure are many more. I'm excited (and terrified) to see how large I can grow this colony, as they tend to be quite aggressive and they're eating all my food! I might have to start catching wild insects on my hikes to keep the costs down, haha!
Here are a few pictures of this colony/species. Unfortunately I was a fool and when I bought my Fallen Fortress last year I didn't get the museum glass. I really regret it as its hampered me getting as good of pictures as I'd like of these ants, but I'm happy to announce their new Mini Labyrinth will have museum glass, so hopefully my next post will have much better pictures of this colony. I honestly want to just buy a piece of museum glass to replace it.
The nest I saw in the desert of what I believe is this species. I liked that I could see them in the bottom of the nest lurking down there. They don't seem as physogastric as the ones in my keeping. I'm guessing the desert isn't littered with sunburst nectar.
Her royal highness, the queen.
The lone male (for now) alate.
One of their brood piles, they have three like this with one of them in the outworld
Their outworld, getting kind of full...
Formica sp (Desert Formica 2024)
This is another unidentified desert species captured by UtahAnts, except from the summer of 2024. I purchased these from him just before he left and was trying to clear out some stock. This species I have not seen before during my time in the deserts, but I believe he found them in the same desert between Price and Green River. They're a bit smaller than the 2023 Desert Formica. They came in a tubs and tubes setup in a dirt box with probably around 30 workers. I was caring for them in the dirt box for a while, but at some point I was having a problem keeping it clean and there was a bit of a die off where about 2/3 of the worker's perished. I managed to get them contained to a test tube and moved them into a new setup. I am trying to get them to move into a Mini Hearth currently, but they have been very resistant to that despite me heating the Mini Hearth to make it more enticing. Hopefully they will comply soon. I'm excited to see this species grow as well, and I'm hoping to take them to as large of a size as I can. I don't see them doing much foraging when I'm around, but there is evidence they've been eating mealworms and crickets.
The colony in their dirty test tube, which of course is blocking the view.
Formica integra group (parasitic Formica)
Another one of the queens I bought from UtahAnts before he left was a parasitic Formica queen he had introduced to a Formica fusca group colony. They were also in a dirt setup, but their tubes started to run low and I was beginning to have a hard time feeding them without escapes so I moved them into a Mini Hearth. I was having a hard time seeing the queen before that, but when they moved into the Mini Hearth, I accidentally over watered it and it was very humid so they stuck dirt onto almost every inch of the glass and covered it so I still can't really see her. I'm not 100% sure this is the queen I have, but I think its the Formica integra group queen he caught at 11,000 feet in the Uinta mountain range mentioned in his UA Formica Files journal. My plan is to try and move them into another Mini Hearth so I can clean the glass of their current one, and not overwater the new so we can get some visuals on them. I'm excited to see what this colony does, and I feel like given its importance I should document them as part of this journal. Luckily I now just get the easier part of raising them.
Look how they massacred my boy (Mini Hearth)
Thanks for reading! Hoping all of these colonies do well and grow to great sizes without burning a hole in my wallet!
Edited by Izzy, June 12 2025 - 8:09 PM.
