Formica neogagates

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Formica neogagates
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Formicini
Genus: Formica
Species: F. neogagates
Binomial name
Formica neogagates
Viereck, 1903

Formica neogagates casent0005382 profile 1.jpg

Formica neogagates casent0005382 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

This species nests in the soil, often under stones or logs. Colonies are small and these ants are timid.

At a Glance • Polygynous  

Photo Gallery

  • Worker. Photo by Tom Murray.

Identification

Formica neogagates usually has abundant erect hairs on the pronotum, as well as the remainder of the body. The antennae are without erect hairs (except at the apex). The surfaces are shiny, but more sculptured than most members of the neogagates species group. It can be separated from most of the other members by having more than 10 erect hairs on the pronotum (usually more than 20), and having rougher sculpture. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Coast to coast in southern Canada and the northern states, with an extension in the Appalachians to North Carolina; in the west spreading northward to southern Alaska and southward to Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and into northern Mexico.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 53.726668° to 29.06337°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

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

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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.
pChart

Habitat

In New Mexico (Mackay and Mackay 2002) - Grasslands and highly disturbed urban environments through pinyon-juniper forests up to aspen forests. It is occasionally found in semiarid habitats.

Biology

For New Mexico (Mackay and Mackay 2002) - It nests together with Lasius americanus and Myrmica lobifrons. Reproductives were found in a nest in June, dealate females were found in June and July. Nests have multiple, dealate females.

Nevada, Wheeler and Wheeler (1986) - The species has been reported widely distributed throughout the state except for the northeastern corner. We have 74 records from 59 localities; 3,900-10,000 ft., but mostly between 4,000 ft. and 8,000 ft. Twenty-nine of the localities were in the Cool Desert (8 in Sarcobatus Subclimax, 2 in cottonwood groves, 2 riparian, 1 in moist soil encrusted with salt, 1 in turf at the edge of a marsh, and 1 in a disturbed area), 10 were in the Pinyon-Juniper Biome, 2 in Coniferous Forest Biome, and 5 in the Alpine Biome. Of the nests described 11 were under stones; of the exposed nests 7 were surmounted by a crater 3-12 cm in diameter; 12 had irregular piles of excavated soil. Entrances were small (2-3 mm). We have usually found F. neogagates fast and timid, but populous colonies sometimes produce aggressive workers that bite promptly. Workers from a colony 2 mi. N McGill (White Pine Co., 6,000 ft.) were tending mealybugs, Chorizococcus sp. (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae; det. D.R. Miller), at the base of winter fat (Ceratoides lanata). Workers from a colony 5 mi. NE Gerlach (pershing Co.) 3,800 ft. were tending coccids, Orthezia sarcobati Morrison (Homoptera: Ortheziidae; det. D.R. Miller), on Sarcobatus vermiculatus.

Association with Other Organisms

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This species is host for the following slave-makers:

It is also the host for the temporary parasite Formica microgyna (Gregg, 1963; Mackay & Mackay, 2002).

  • This species is a mutualist for the aphid Rhopalosiphum nymphaeae (a trophobiont) (Jones, 1927; Saddiqui et al., 2019).
  • This species is a prey for the Microdon fly Microdon lanceolatus (a predator) (Quevillon, 2018).
  • This species is a host for the fungus Laboulbenia formicarium (a parasite) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission within nest).
  • This species is a host for the fungus Laboulbenia formicarum (a pathogen) (Espadaler & Santamaria, 2012).

Flight Period

X
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Source: antkeeping.info.

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Life History Traits

  • Queen number: polygynous (Frumhoff & Ward, 1992)

Castes

Worker

MCZ-ENT00671564 Formica neogagates hef.jpgMCZ-ENT00671564 Formica neogagates hal.jpgMCZ-ENT00671564 Formica neogagates had.jpgMCZ-ENT00671564 Formica neogagates lbs.JPG
. Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Nomenclature

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

  • neogagates. Formica fusca var. neogagates Viereck, 1903: 74 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. [First available use of Formica fusca subsp. subpolita var. neogagates Emery, 1893i: 661; unavailable name.] Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953c: 158 (l.). Combination in F. (Proformica): Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 536. Subspecies of subpolita: Wheeler, W.M. 1908f: 625. Raised to species: Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 536.

Description

=Worker Morphology

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  • Caste: monomorphic

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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