Erratic Ant
CR

Erratic Ant

Tapinoma erraticum

Unknown

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

Overview

The erratic ant is a species of dolichoderine ant first described in 1789 by Latreille.

The Erratic Ant faces severe population declines due to habitat destruction from urbanization and agricultural expansion across its European range. Climate change is altering the temperature and moisture conditions of its specialized microhabitats, while invasive ant species compete for resources and nesting sites.

Threat summary

Habitat

Inhabits dry, sandy soils in open grasslands, heathlands, and sparse woodland edges, typically nesting under stones or in shallow soil cavities. Requires specific temperature and moisture conditions in Mediterranean and temperate European ecosystems.

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Formicidae

VU

Formica bruni

Unknown
Stenamma debileVU

Stenamma debile

Unknown
Red Barbed AntVU

Red Barbed Ant

Formica rufibarbis

Unknown
VU

Strongylognathus kratochvili

Unknown

Threatened in Albania

VU

Lesser White-fronted Goose

Anser erythropus

Declining
Scarce BlackneckCR

Scarce Blackneck

Lygephila craccae

Unknown
Common Fire SalamanderVU

Common Fire Salamander

Salamandra salamandra

Declining
EN

Ohrigocea stankovici

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Erratic Ant classified as Critically Endangered?
Erratic Ant is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Erratic Ant faces severe population declines due to habitat destruction from urbanization and agricultural expansion across its European range. Climate change is altering the temperature and moisture conditions of its specialized microhabitats, while invasive ant species compete for resources and nesting sites.
Where does Erratic Ant live?
Erratic Ant occurs in Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, and Belgium (plus 29 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Erratic Ant?
The main threats to Erratic Ant are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.