Formica bradleyi

Formica bradleyi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Formicini
Genus:	Formica
Species:	F. bradleyi
Binomial name
	Formica bradleyi; Wheeler, W.M., 1913 Specimen labels
Synonyms
	Formica neogagates morbida Wheeler, W.M., 1913;

This widely distributed species is a sand specialist, being found almost exclusively in deep sand deposits.

Identification

The only member of the neogagates group that is concolorous yellowish red. The entire ant, including the appendages, is covered with bristly, white hairs, except for the scape, which is without erect hairs. The surfaces are shiny and the anterior border of the clypeus is concave, nearly notched. The male is unusual as it has a shiny head and mesosoma.

Distribution

Canada: Alberta, Manitoba. United States: Minnesota, Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 50.874° to 34.156971°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: Canada, United States (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Habitat

Found only in very sandy soils at base of grass clumps (DuBois and Danoff-Burg, 1994).

Biology

This species is a host for the ant Formica puberula (a dulotic parasite) (Mackay & Mackay, 2002).
This species is a host for the ant Formica rubicunda (a dulotic parasite) (doubtful, slave maker possibly Formica pergandei).
This species is a host for the ant Formica wheeleri (a dulotic parasite).

Association with Other Organisms

Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

This species is a mutualist for the aphid Rhopalosiphum nymphaeae (a trophobiont) (Jones, 1927; Saddiqui et al., 2019).

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

bradleyi. Formica bradleyi Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 423 (w.m.) U.S.A. Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 535 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953c: 168 (l.). Combination in F. (Raptiformica): Emery, 1925b: 259. Senior synonym of morbida: Wilson & Brown, 1955: 126. See also: Smith, D.R. 1979: 1449.
morbida. Formica (Proformica) neogagates var. morbida Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 400 (in key) (w.q.) U.S.A. [Formica (Proformica) neogagates subsp. neogagates var. morbida Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 538; unavailable name.] Subspecies of neogagates: Buren, 1944a: 309. Junior synonym of neogagates: Creighton, 1950a: 459; of bradleyi: Wilson & Brown, 1955: 126.

Description

References

Baer, B. 2011. The copulation biology of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 14: 55-68.
Carroll, T.M. 2011. The ants of Indiana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). M.S. thesis, Purdue University.
Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 259, Combination in F. (Raptiformica))
Mackay, W. P. and E. Mackay. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, NY.
Siddiqui, J. A., Li, J., Zou, X., Bodlah, I., Huang, X. 2019. Meta-analysis of the global diversity and spatial patterns of aphid-ant mutualistic relationships. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 17: 5471-5524 (doi:10.15666/aeer/1703_54715524).
Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1953c. The ant larvae of the subfamily Formicinae. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 46: 126-171 (page 168, larva described)
Wheeler, W. M. 1913i. A revision of the ants of the genus Formica (Linné) Mayr. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 53: 379-565 (page 423, worker, male described)
Wheeler, W. M. 1917a. The mountain ants of western North America. Proc. Am. Acad. Arts Sci. 52: 457-569 (page 535, queen described)
Wilson, E. O.; Brown, W. L., Jr. 1955. Revisionary notes on the sanguinea and neogagates groups of the ant genus Formica. Psyche (Camb.) 62: 108-129 (page 126, Senior synonym of morbida)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bestelmeyer B. T., and J. A. Wiens. 2001. Local and regional-scale responses of ant diversity to a semiarid biome transition. Ecography 24: 381-392.
Cokendolpher J. C., and O. F. Francke. 1990. The ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of western Texas. Part II. Subfamilies Ecitoninae, Ponerinae, Pseudomyrmecinae, Dolichoderinae, and Formicinae. Special Publications, the Museum. Texas Tech University 30:1-76.
Gregg, R.T. 1963. The Ants of Colorado.
Kannowski P. B. 1956. The ants of Ramsey County, North Dakota. American Midland Naturalist 56(1): 168-185.
Lavigne R., and T. J. Tepedino. 1976. Checklist of the insects in Wyoming. I. Hymenoptera. Agric. Exp. Sta., Univ. Wyoming Res. J. 106: 24-26.
O'Keefe S. T., J. L. Cook, T. Dudek, D. F. Wunneburger, M. D. Guzman, R. N. Coulson, and S. B. Vinson. 2000. The Distribution of Texas Ants. The Southwestern Entomologist 22: 1-92.
Wheeler G. C., and E. W. Wheeler. 1944. Ants of North Dakota. North Dakota Historical Quarterly 11:231-271.
Wheeler G. C., and J. Wheeler. 1987. A Checklist of the Ants of South Dakota. Prairie Nat. 19(3): 199-208.
Wheeler W. M. 1917. The mountain ants of western North America. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 52: 457-569.
Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1988. A checklist of the ants of Montana. Psyche 95:101-114
Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1988. A checklist of the ants of Wyoming. Insecta Mundi 2(3&4):230-239
Wheeler, G.C., J. Wheeler, T.D. Galloway and G.L. Ayre. 1989. A list of the ants of Manitoba. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Manitoba 45:34-49
Wilson E. O., and W. L. Brown, Jr. 1955. Revisionary notes on the sanguinea and neogagates groups of the ant genus Formica. Psyche (Cambridge) 62: 108-129.