Myrmica ruginodis has an ovipositor which is modified into a functional sting. Ruginodis is one of the "red ants" and like all Myrmica has an extremly narrow waist (pedicel) which consists of two distinct segments, the postpetiole and the petiole.
Myrmica ruginodis belongs to the rubra group of species - a difficult group to distinguish from one another. Important features that distinguish M. ruginodis from M. rubra are the gentle curve at the base of the antenna (not distinctly angled) and the pair of propodeal spines projecting from the rear of the alitrunk (the main part of the thorax). In M. rugodinis. these spines are relatively long - as long as the distance between their tips. M. rugodinis is one of the most common of the Myrmica, occuring throughout Britain and especially in the north, forming nests in tree trunks and rotting wood, under stones in woodland and other sheltered sites.
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