They are aggressive, often attacking rather than running away, and are equipped with a stinger, though they lack the ability to spray formic acid like the genus Formica.

It occurs in the region stretching from Portugal to East Siberia (as far as Transbaikalia), and from northern Greece to the forest-tundra zone in the North.

It has also been introduced to North America in northwestern and northeastern United States and in western Canada, where it is considered an invasive species.

[citation needed] They also consume pollen, a phenomenon rarely documented in ants of the temperate zone.

[6] Have smooth and shiny frontal triangle and subspinal areas; long and slender antennal scapes.

No nuptial flights have been witnessed yet from this species where it is living in North America,[1] however male-only mating swarms have been recorded in Newfoundland, Canada.

These queens are smaller in size compared to the macrogyne and were previously believed to be a different species of social parasite (M. microrubra).

[10] The ants explore the surrounding area around their nest and look for materials, both plant and animal, to feed their colonies.