Oak Grove State Game Area near Wiggins Rd. Mesic, sandy soil. Very aggressive, starting biting as soon as contact was made.
Seemed like it could be Formica fossaceps, but the gaster is rather pubescent and has some hairs, while fossaceps is supposed to shine. The colony was found in a low, oblong mound which was somewhat thatched. Large colony.
Big pile about a foot wide and 6 inches tall, all writhing with ants on top and about an inch underneath there was a large ant hill, another was found within 100 meters
This observation is for the reddish- and dark brown-colored ants in each photo. These have a suggestion for Formicine Ants. They were crawling around on groupings of decaying, dead Cicadas (for which I will make a separate observation). There is also a carrion beetle in one of the photos (for which I will make a separate observation). Found N or NE of the lake, a ways past the start of the Sunset Lake Trail (going counter-clockwise on the loop) at Glendalough State Park.