Formica nepticula

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Formica nepticula
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Formicini
Genus: Formica
Species group: microgyna
Species: F. nepticula
Binomial name
Formica nepticula
Wheeler, W.M., 1905

Formica-nepticula-MCZ001L.jpg

Formica-nepticula-MCZ001D.jpg

Specimen Label

At a Glance • Temporary parasite  

Identification

The workers of this species are bicolored, with the head, mesosoma, petiole, and appendages yellowish red, with the gaster medium brown. Erect hairs are abundant on most surfaces, including the dorsum of the head, ventral surface of the head, the scape often has a few scattered, erect hairs, hairs are present on the dorsum of the mesosoma, dorsum of the petiole, and the gaster, hairs the tibiae are suberect. Many of the hairs, especially those on the mesosoma, are blunt-tipped.

The queen is a tiny specimen, much smaller than the largest worker, mostly pale yellowish brown, with numerous hairs on the same surfaces as the workers, the hairs are longer, and not noticeably blunt-tipped. The scape has a few, scattered, erect hairs.

This species could be confused with Formica knighti. To it differs in that the dorsum of the gaster is punctate, but is weakly to moderately shining, not dull as in F. knighti. It does not have the abundant erect an suberect hairs on the scapes and tibiae that are found in Formica impexa and Formica microgyna.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 44.917° to 41.237667°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: United States (type locality).

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.
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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.
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Biology

This species is likely to be a temporary parasite of another species of Formica, but its host is unknown.

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Formica nepticula casent0105608 head 1.jpgFormica nepticula casent0105608 profile 1.jpgFormica nepticula casent0105608 dorsal 1.jpgFormica nepticula casent0105608 label 1.jpg
Cotype of Formica nepticulaWorker. Specimen code casent0105608. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by USNM, Washington, DC, USA.
Formica nepticula casent0103384 head 1.jpgFormica nepticula casent0103384 profile 1.jpgFormica nepticula casent0103384 dorsal 1.jpgFormica nepticula casent0103384 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0103384. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by USNM, Washington, DC, USA.

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Formica nepticula casent0103383 head 1.jpgFormica nepticula casent0103383 profile 1.jpgFormica nepticula casent0103383 dorsal 1.jpgFormica nepticula casent0103383 dorsal 2.jpgFormica nepticula casent0103383 label 1.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0103383. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by USNM, Washington, DC, USA.

Nomenclature

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

  • nepticula. Formica nepticula Wheeler, W.M. 1905c: 270 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. See also: Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 475.

Type Material

Description

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Coovert, G.A. 2005. The Ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin New Series Volume 15(2):1-196
  • Del Toro, I. 2010. PERSONAL COMMUNICATION. MUSEUM RECORDS COLLATED BY ISRAEL DEL TORO
  • Shik, J., A. Francoeur and C. Buddle. 2005. The effect of human activity on ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) richness at the Mont St. Hilaire Biosphere Reserve, Quebec. Canadian Field-Naturalist 119(1): 38-42.
  • Talbot M. 1976. A list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Edwin S. George Reserve, Livingston County, Michigan. Great Lakes Entomologist 8: 245-246.
  • Wheeler G. C., J. N. Wheeler, and P. B. Kannowski. 1994. Checklist of the ants of Michigan (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The Great Lakes Entomologist 26(4): 297-310
  • Wheeler W. M. 1905. New species of Formica. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 21: 267-274.
  • Wheeler, G.C., J. Wheeler and P.B. Kannowski. 1994. CHECKLIST OF THE ANTS OF MICHIGAN (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE). Great Lakes Entomologist 26:1:297-310