red ant

English

Noun

red ant (plural red ants)

1. Any of various red-coloured ants. [from 8th c.]
   1. An ant of the genus Myrmica, especially the European red ant or common red ant (Myrmica rubra).
   2. (US) The pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis).
   3. (Australia) The meat ant (Iridomyrmex purpureus), endemic to Australia.
      • 2002, Victoria Finlay, Colour, Sceptre, page 51:

        Breakfast was the white heart of a sand palm – succulent and bitter-sweet – and for ‘jam’ we ate bush apples and red ants with green bottoms that were so full of vitamin C they tasted like stings.

   4. The red harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus), native to southwestern US.
   5. The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), native to South America, but broadly invasive.
   6. The European red wood ant (Formica polyctena or Formica pratensis).
   7. The red bull ant (Myrmecia gulosa).

Coordinate terms

• black ant
• fire ant
• white ant

 

Translations

Myrmica rubra

• Kapampangan: salusad (general)
• Navajo: wóláchííʼ
• Russian: кра́сный мураве́й m (krásnyj muravéj)
• Tagalog: kuwitib (general red ant)

pharaoh ant — see pharaoh ant

red harvester ant

red imported fire ant — see red imported fire ant

European red wood ant

red bull ant

Further reading

• Myrmica rubra on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Myrmica rubra on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Pharaoh ant on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Monomorium pharaonis on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Red harvester ant on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Pogonomyrmex barbatus on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• European red wood ant on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Formica polyctena on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Formica pratensis on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Red bull ant on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Myrmecia (Formicidae) on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

Anagrams

• Arendt, Darent, ardent, daren't, endart, ranted