Europe

Lasius niger
The black garden ant, perfect for beginners. Hardy, versatile and easy to keep.
Camponotus vagus
The large black carpenter ant of Europe. Impressive, slow, and especially rewarding.
Camponotus ligniperdus
The large European carpenter ant, bicoloured black and brick-red. Slow but impressive growth.
Formica fusca
The silky ant, a peaceful woodland species. Calm, easy to keep, and remarkably numerous.
Myrmica rubra
The European red ant, small but stinging. A beginner-friendly polygynous species.
Lasius flavus
The yellow meadow ant, subterranean and discreet. Ideal to observe an underground colony.
Lasius emarginatus
The wall ant, heat-loving and bicoloured (reddish thorax). Very active in urban settings.
Tetramorium caespitum
The pavement ant, tiny but voracious. Ideal to observe a large colony in little space.
Camponotus herculeanus
The boreal giant, the largest Camponotus in Europe. Lives in the dead wood of cold forests.
Messor structor
A continental harvester ant, smaller than M. barbarus but suited to a temperate climate.
Manica rubida
The reddish alpine ant, hardy, with a painful sting. An uncommon myrmicine in captivity.
Aphaenogaster subterranea
The subterranean ant, discreet but fascinating. Observable cooperative-hunting behaviour.
Solenopsis fugax
The little thief ant, tiny but formidable. To observe a unique parasitic behaviour.
Polyergus rufescens
The Amazon ant, a spectacular slave-maker. For experts only.