Black-backed Meadow Ant
VU — Vulnerable

Black-backed Meadow Ant

Formica pratensis

Formica pratensis, the black-backed meadow ant, is a species of European red wood ant in the family Formicidae.

46

Countries

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formica_pratensis

01 — Classification

Taxonomy & Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Formica

Black-backed Meadow Ant belongs to the family Formicidae, order Hymenoptera, within the Insecta class.

02 — Description

Species Profile

Formica pratensis, the black-backed meadow ant, is a species of European red wood ant in the family Formicidae.

The Black-backed Meadow Ant faces significant population declines due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development, which destroys the semi-natural grasslands essential for colony establishment. Climate change and altered land management practices further threaten remaining populations by disrupting the specific microhabitat conditions these ants require for successful reproduction and colony survival.

Key Facts

IUCN StatusVulnerable (VU)
GroupInsects
03 — Habitat

Habitat & Distribution

Semi-natural grasslands, meadows, pastures, and open woodland edges with well-drained soils and sparse vegetation cover. The species requires areas with adequate sun exposure and specific soil conditions suitable for constructing large, dome-shaped nest mounds.

TERRESTRIALMajor
04 — Threats

Threats

Agricultural intensification and grassland conversion

HighOngoing

Urban development and habitat fragmentation

HighOngoing

Changes in land management practices

MediumOngoing

Climate change and altered precipitation patterns

MediumOngoing

Loss of suitable nesting sites

MediumOngoing
06 — Range

Found in 46 Countries

Åland IslandsAndorraAustriaBelarusBelgiumBosnia & HerzegovinaBulgariaChinaCroatiaCzechiaDenmarkEstoniaFinlandFranceGermanyGreeceGuernseyHungaryItalyJerseyKazakhstanKosovoKyrgyzstanLatviaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMoldovaMongoliaMontenegroNetherlandsNorth MacedoniaNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaSerbiaSlovakiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandUkraineUnited KingdomUzbekistan
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07 — Sources

Sources & Attribution

How to Cite

IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS

GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org

This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Black-backed Meadow Ant (Formica pratensis). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/black-backed-meadow-ant

Full citation guide & data usage terms