Formica frontalis

Formica frontalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Formicini
Genus:	Formica
Species:	F. frontalis
Binomial name
Formica frontalis Santschi, 1919 Specimen Labels

Evolutionary Relationships

Proformica longiseta Polyergus rufescens Polyergus samurai Iberoformica subrufa Formica cunicularia Formica gerardi Formica frontalis Formica sanguinea

Based on Gomez, Lorite, P. et al. 2018. Note that this study was restricted to species near Formica gerardi.

Formica frontalis, a temporary parasite, is known to enslave Iberoformica subrufa .

At a Glance

• Temporary parasite

Identification

Keys including this Species

• Key to Palaearctic Formica rufa group species
• Key to Palaearctic species in the Formica rufa group

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 42.836887° to 37.118611°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Andorra, Iberian Peninsula, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Spain (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.

Nomenclature

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

• frontalis. Formica truncorum var. frontalis Santschi, 1919e: 246 (w.) SPAIN. Tinaut & Martínez-Ibáñez, 1998: 33 (q.m.). Raised to species: Tinaut & Martínez-Ibáñez, 1998: 40.

Description

Karyotype

• See additional details at the Ant Chromosome Database.

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

• 2n = 52 (Spain) (Lorite et al., 2002b; Lorite et al., 2004a).

References

• Antonov, I.A., Bukin, Yu.S. 2016. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the ant genus Formica L. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Palearctic region. Russian Journal of Genetics 52(8), 810–820 (doi:10.1134/s1022795416080020).
• Arcos, J., Chaves, D., Alarcón, P., Rosado, A. 2022. First record of Temnothorax convexus (Forel, 1894) in Portugal (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with an updated checklist of the ants from the country. Sociobiology, 69(2), e7623 (doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v69i2.7623).
• Arcos, J., Chaves, D., Alarcón, P., Rosado, Á. 2022. First record of Temnothorax convexus (Forel, 1894) in Portugal (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with an updated checklist of the ants from the country. Sociobiology, 692), e7623 (doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v69i2.7623).
• Bernadou, A., Fourcassié, V., Espadaler, X. 2013. A preliminary checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Andorra. ZooKeys 277, 13–23 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.277.4684).
• Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 195, catalogue)
• Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
• Catarineu, C., Barberá, G.G., Reyes-López, J.L. 2018. Zoogeography of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of southeastern Iberian Peninsula. Sociobiology 65, 383-396 (doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v65i3.2822).
• de la Mora, A., Sankovitz, M., Purcell, J. 2020. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as host and intruder: recent advances and future directions in the study of exploitative strategies. Myrmecological News 30: 53-71 (doi:10.25849/MYRMECOL.NEWS_030:053).
• Goropashnaya, A.V., Fedorov, V.B., Seifert, B., Pamilo, P. 2012. Phylogenetic relationships of Palaearctic Formica species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) based on mitochondrial Cytochrome b sequences. PLoS ONE 7, e41697 (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041697).
• Ruano, F., Lenoir, A., Silvestre, M., Khalil, A., Tinaut, A. 2018. Chemical profiles in Iberoformica subrufa and Formica frontalis, a new example of temporary host–parasite interaction. Insectes Sociaux 66, 223–233 (doi:10.1007/S00040-018-00677-6).
• Santschi, F. 1919e. Fourmis d'Espagne et des Canaries. Bol. R. Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat. 19: 241-248 (page 246, worker described)
• Seifert, B. 2021. A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the Formica rufa group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) – the famous mound-building red wood ants. Myrmecological News 31: 133-179 (doi:10.25849/MYRMECOL.NEWS_031:133).
• Tinaut, A., Ruano, F. 2021. Biogeography of Iberian ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Diversity 13, 88. (doi:10.3390/d13020088).
• Tinaut, A.; Martínez-Ibañez, D. 1998d. Taxonomy and distribution of Formica dusmeti Emery, 1909 and of F. frontalis Santschi, 1919 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Graellsia 54: 31-41 (page 33, queen, male described)
• Tinaut, A.; Martínez-Ibañez, D. 1998d. Taxonomy and distribution of Formica dusmeti Emery, 1909 and of F. frontalis Santschi, 1919 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Graellsia 54: 31-41 (page 40, Raised to species)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Bernadou A., V. Fourcassié, and X. Espadaler. 2013. A preliminary checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Andorra. Zookeys 277: 13-23.
• Bernadou A., X. Espadaler, A. Le Goff, and V. Fourcassie. 2015. Ant community organization along elevational gradients in a temperate ecosystem. Insect. Soc. 62:59–71
• Bernadou, A., G. Latil, V. Fourcassié, and X. Espadaler. "Les formigues de la Vall del Madriu-Perafita-Claror : diversitat i distribució." Hàbitats, 13 (2006): 10-21.
• Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
• Espadaler, X.. "Catàleg de les formigues del països catalans." Ses. Entomol. ICHN-SCL IX (1997): 23-42.
• Gomez K., P. Lorite, F. Garcia, A. Tinaut, X. Espadaler, T. Palomeque, O. Sanllorente, and J. Trager. 2018. Differentiating Iberoformica and Formica (Serviformica) with description of the sexual castes of Formica (Serviformica) gerardi Bondroit, 1917 stat. rev. Sociobiology 65(3): 463-470.
• Hernandez Cuba O., C. Perez Banon, and M. A. Marcos Garcia. 2008. Los formicidos (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) del Parque natural de la Font Roja. Iberis 6: 9-20.
• Muñoz-López M., T. Palomeque, J. A. Carrillo, J. Pons, A. Tinaut, and P. Lorite. 2012. A new taxonomic status for Iberoformica (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) based on the use of molecular markers. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 50: 30-37.
• Sanchez-Gil Jimeno R., and J. L. Reyes-Lopez. 2016. Study of ants species of the Sierra de San Carlos del Valle (Ciudad Real) and updating the provincial check list (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Boln. Asoc. esp. Ent. 40 (1-2): 93-109.
• Sanllorente O., P. Lorite, F. Ruano, T. Palomeque, and A. Tinaut. 2017. Phylogenetic relationships between the slave-making ants Rossomyrmex and their Proformica hosts in relation to other genera of the ant tribe Formicini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J Zool Syst Evol Res. 1–13.
• Schmitz H. 1950. Formicidae quaedam a cl. A. Stärcke determinatae, quas in Lusitania collegit. Brotéria Ser. Cienc. Nat. 19: 12-16.
• Schmitz, H.. "Formicidae quaedam a cl. A. Stärcke determinatae, quas in Lusitania collegit." Brotéria, Ciências Naturais 19 (1950): 12-16.
• Tinaut A. 2016. Ants of the Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Mountains Natural Park (Andalusia, Spain) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Boln. Asoc. esp. Ent., 40 (1-2): 125-159.
• Tinaut A., F. Ruano, M Silvestre, and M. D. Martinez Ibanez. 2015. Review and update on the distribution of Formica frontalis Santschi, 1919 across the Iberian Peninsula (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Boln. Asoc. esp. Ent. 39 (1-2): 115-133.
• Tinaut, A., and M. D. Martínez Ibáñez. "Taxonomy and distribution of Formica dusmeti Emery, 1909 and of F. frontalis Santschi, 1919." Graellsia 54 (1998): 31-41.
• del Campo Gracia P., M. D. Martinez Ibanez, A. Tinaut, and S. Montagud Alario. 2014. Faunistic study of the Formicidae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the Comunitat Valenciana (Spain). Boln. Asoc. esp. Ent. 38 (1-2): 33-65.