**Description:** A red and black ant that builds massive dirt mounds, often in forest clearings.
**Size:** 0.2 to 0.3 inches (workers); mounds can reach 3 feet high and 6 feet wide.
**Behavior:** "Forest floor architects" that inject formic acid into the soil around mounds to kill plants that might shade their home.
**Identification:** Look for a "clear zone" of dead vegetation around large dirt mounds. Colonies can contain over 250,000 ants.
**Habitat:** Forest clearings and powerline rights-of-way.