Formica obscuriventris

Formica obscuriventris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Formicini
Genus:	Formica
Species group:	rufa
Species:	F. obscuriventris
Binomial name
Formica obscuriventris Mayr, 1870 Specimen Label
Synonyms
Formica dryas Wheeler, W.M., 1905 Formica dryas gymnomma Wheeler, W.M., 1905 Formica rufa clivia Creighton, 1940

This species nests under logs or stones, usually partially covered with thatch. It is a host for the slave-makers Formica pergandei and Formica rubicunda.

Photo Gallery

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  Foraging worker. Photo by Tom Murray.
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  Colony under a stone. Photo by Gary D. Alpert.
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  Workers tending Chaitophorus aphids on a poplar sapling, Door Co. Wisconsin. Photo by James Trager.

Identification

Keys including this Species

• Key to Nearctic species in the Formica rufa group
• Key to New England Formica

Distribution

Southern Canada and New England southward to Virginia and thence westward to the Pacific.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 54.39972222° 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.

Biology

Syrphidae in the genus Microdon are predators on ant brood within the nest.

Microdon pupal case - Photo by Gary D. Alpert

Nevada, Wheeler and Wheeler (1986) - Our 48 records are widely scattered in that part of the state north of the Hot Desert boundary (with 1 exception); they represent 39 localities; 5,600-10,000 ft. Nine of these records were from the Cool Desert, 8 from the Pinyon-Juniper Biome, 6 from the Coniferous Forest, and 1 from the Alpine Biome. Our remarks about the nest of Formica obscuripes apply to F. obscuriventris but the latter seemed to produce more variants. The same applied to behavior, except that F. obscuriventris was more prone to send out foraging columns. Formica obscuriventris was found tending the aphid, Aphis filifoliae (Homoptera: Aphididae; det. L.M. Russell), on Pinus monophylla at Lehman Caves Nat. Mon., White Pine Co., 6,800 ft.

Nest site selected in areas of moderate to sparse cover. Nest begun under log or stone with many of the passages running into the soil. Moderate use made of thatching, often little of this visible on the outside of the nest. Large domes or heaps of thatching rarely produced (Creighton, 1940).

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 host for the cricket Myrmecophilus pergandei (a myrmecophile) in United States.
• This species is a host for the braconid wasp Elasmosoma michaeli (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
• This species is a host for the braconid wasp Elasmosoma sp. (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
• This species is a prey for the Microdon fly Microdon cothurnatus (a predator) (Quevillon, 2018).
• This species is a prey for the Microdon fly Microdon piperi (a predator) (Quevillon, 2018).

Flight Period

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

Source: antkeeping.info.

• Check details at Worldwide Ant Nuptial Flights Data, AntNupTracker and AntKeeping.

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

Life History Traits

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

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Worker. Specimen code casent0104769. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by UCDC, Davis, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

• obscuriventris. Formica truncicola var. obscuriventris Mayr, 1870b: 951 (w.) U.S.A.
  • Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 446 (q.m.).
  • Subspecies of rufa: Mayr, 1886d: 426; Emery, 1893i: 649; Wheeler, W.M. 1906b: 16; Wheeler, W.M. 1908f: 623; Wheeler, W.M. 1908g: 408; Creighton, 1940a: 1, 8 (in key); Smith, M.R. 1951a: 870.
  • Subspecies of truncicola: Dalla Torre, 1893: 214; Wheeler, W.M. 1913c: 116; Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 445 (redescription); Wheeler, W.M. 1916m: 597; Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 540; Wheeler, W.M. 1917i: 464.
  • Status as species: Creighton, 1950a: 493; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1460; Allred, 1982: 472; Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1986g: 84; Bolton, 1995b: 200; Mackay & Mackay, 2002: 358; Coovert, 2005: 150; Ellison, et al. 2012: 166.
  • Senior synonym of dryas: Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 446.
  • Senior synonym of gymnomma: Creighton, 1950a: 493.
  • Senior synonym of clivia: Shattuck & Cover, 2016: 16.
• clivia. Formica rufa subsp. clivia Creighton, 1940a: 8, 8 (in key), fig. 1 (w.q.m.) U.S.A.
  • Subspecies of rufa: Cole, 1942: 380; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 868.
  • Subspecies of obscuriventris: Creighton, 1950a: 494; Cole, 1954c: 165; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1460; Bolton, 1995b: 193; Mackay & Mackay, 2002: 358.
  • Junior synonym of obscuriventris: Shattuck & Cover, 2016: 16.
• dryas. Formica dryas Wheeler, W.M. 1905c: 268 (w.q.) U.S.A.
  • Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1906b: 17.
  • Junior synonym of obscuriventris: Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 446.
• gymnomma. Formica dryas var. gymnomma Wheeler, W.M. 1905c: 269 (w.) U.S.A.
  • Subspecies of dryas: Wheeler, W.M. 1906b: 17.
  • Subspecies of rufa: Creighton, 1940a: 3, 8 (in key); Smith, M.R. 1951a: 868.
  • Junior synonym of obscuriventris: Creighton, 1950a: 493; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1461.

Type Material

• Formica truncicola obscuriventris: Syntype, workers, Connecticut (specific locality not given), United States, Norton, CASENT0915637, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna.
• Formica truncicola obscuriventris: Syntype, workers, Connecticut (specific locality not given), United States, Norton, FOCOL2745, Berlin Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität.
• Formica dryas: Syntype, workers, vicinity of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, 21 June 1901, W.M. Wheeler, CASENT0911083, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève.
• Formica dryas: Syntype, workers, vicinity of Rockford, Illinois, United States, W.M. Wheeler.
• Formica dryas gymnomma: Syntype, workers, Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, New York, United States, W.M. Wheeler.
• Formica dryas gymnomma: Syntype, workers, near Rockford, Illinois, United States, W.M. Wheeler.
• Formica rufa clivia: Holotype, worker, Fish Creek Ranger Station, Glacier National Park, Montana, United States, 48°33′0″N 113°59′0″W, 8-12 July 1934, W.S. Creighton, American Museum of Natural History.
• Formica rufa clivia: Paratype, workers, queens, males, Fish Creek Ranger Station, Glacier National Park, Montana, United States, 48°33′0″N 113°59′0″W, 8-12 July 1934, W.S. Creighton, American Museum of Natural History.
• Formica rufa clivia: Paratype, worker, Fish Creek Ranger Station, Glacier National Park, Montana, United States, 48°33′0″N 113°59′0″W, 8-12 July 1934, W.S. Creighton, FMNHINS0000062712, Field Museum of Natural History.
• Formica rufa clivia: Paratype, queen, Fish Creek Ranger Station, Glacier National Park, Montana, United States, 48°33′0″N 113°59′0″W, 8-12 July 1934, W.S. Creighton, FMNHINS0000062713, Field Museum of Natural History.

References

• Borowiec, M.L., Cover, S.P., Rabeling, C. 2021. The evolution of social parasitism in Formica ants revealed by a global phylogeny. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118, e2026029118 (doi:10.1073/pnas.2026029118).
• Carroll, T.M. 2011. The ants of Indiana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). M.S. thesis, Purdue University.
• Creighton, W. S. 1940a. A revision of the North American variants of the ant Formica rufa. American Museum Novitates 1055: 1-10.
• Creighton, W. S. 1950a. The ants of North America. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 104: 1-585 (page 493, raised to species, Senior synonym of gymnomma)
• de Bekker, C., Will, I., Das, B., Adams, R.M.M. 2018. The ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and their parasites: effects of parasitic manipulations and host responses on ant behavioral ecology. Myrmecological News 28: 1-24 (doi:10.25849/myrmecol.news_028:001).
• Emery, C. 1893k. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der nordamerikanischen Ameisenfauna. Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere 7: 633-682 (page 649, Variety/subspecies of rufa)
• Higgins, R. J. and B. S. Lindgren. 2015. Seral changes in ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) assemblages in the sub-boreal forests of British Columbia. Insect Conservation and Diversity. 8:337-347. doi:10.1111/icad.12112
• Ipser, R.M., Brinkman, M.A., Gardner, W.A., Peeler, H.B. 2004. A survey of ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Georgia. Florida Entomologist 87: 253-260.
• Ivanov, K. 2019. The ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): an updated checklist. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 70: 65–87 (doi:10.3897@jhr.70.35207).
• Mackay, W. P. and E. Mackay. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, NY.
• Mayr, G. 1870b. Neue Formiciden. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 20: 939-996 (page 951, worker described)
• Mayr, G. 1886d. Die Formiciden der Vereinigten Staaten von Nordamerika. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 36: 419-464 (page 426, Variety/subspecies of rufa)
• Poinar, G., Jr. 2012. Nematode parasites and associates of ants: Past and present. Psyche, 2012, Article ID 192017, 13 pages (DOI 10.1155/2012/192017).
• Shattuck, S.O., Cover, S. 2016. Taxonomy of some little-understood North American ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 4175: 10–22 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4175.1.2).
• Talbot, M. 1964. Nest structure and flights of the ant Formica obscuriventris Mayr. Animal Behavior 12:154-158.
• Waters, J.S., Keough, N.W., Burt, J., Eckel, J.D., Hutchinson, T., Ewanchuk, J., Rock, M., Markert, J.A., Axen, H.J., Gregg, D. 2022. Survey of ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the city of Providence (Rhode Island, United States) and a new northern-most record for Brachyponera chinensis (Emery, 1895). Check List 18(6), 1347–1368 (doi:10.15560/18.6.1347).
• West, M., Purcell, J. 2020. Task partitioning in ants lacking discrete morphological worker subcastes. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 74 (doi:10.1007/S00265-020-02845-W).
• Wheeler, G. C. and J. Wheeler. 1986. The ants of Nevada. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles.
• Wheeler, W. M. 1908h. The ants of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. (Part I.). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 24: 399-485 (page 408, Variety/subspecies of rufa)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1913d. Ants collected in Georgia by Dr. J. C. Bradley and Mr. W. T. Davis. Psyche (Camb.) 20: 112-117 (page 116, Variety/subspecies of trunicola)
• 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 446, queen, male described, page 445, Variety/subspecies of trunicola, page 446, Senior synonym of dryas)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1917k. A list of Indiana ants. Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 26: 460-466 (page 464, Variety/subspecies of trunicola)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Allred D. M. 1982. Ants of Utah. The Great Basin Naturalist 42: 415-511.
• Allred, D.M. 1982. The ants of Utah. Great Basin Naturalist 42:415-511.
• Buren W. F. 1944. A list of Iowa ants. Iowa State College Journal of Science 18:277-312
• Carroll T. M. 2011. The ants of Indiana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Master's Thesis Purdue university, 385 pages.
• Carroll T. M. 2011. The ants of Indiana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Master's thesis Purdue University.
• Cole A. C., Jr. 1942. The ants of Utah. American Midland Naturalist 28: 358-388.
• Coovert G. A. 2005. The Ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Ohio Biological Survey, Inc. 15(2): 1-207.
• Coovert, G.A. 2005. The Ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin New Series Volume 15(2):1-196
• Creighton W. S. 1940. A revision of the North American variants of the ant Formica rufa. American Museum Novitates 1055: 1-10.
• Davis W. T., and J. Bequaert. 1922. An annoted list of the ants of Staten Island and Long Island, N. Y. Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society 17(1): 1-25.
• Del Toro, I. 2010. PERSONAL COMMUNICATION. MUSEUM RECORDS COLLATED BY ISRAEL DEL TORO
• Dubois, M.B. and W.E. Laberge. 1988. An Annotated list of the ants of Illionois. pages 133-156 in Advances in Myrmecology, J. Trager
• Ellison A. M., and E. J. Farnsworth. 2014. Targeted sampling increases knowledge and improves estimates of ant species richness in Rhode Island. Northeastern Naturalist 21(1): NENHC-13–NENHC-24.
• Emery C. 1893. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der nordamerikanischen Ameisenfauna. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 7: 633-682.
• Glasier J. R. N., S. E. Nielsen, J. Acorn, and J. Pinzon. 2019. Boreal sand hills are areas of high diversity for Boreal ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Diversity 11, 22; doi:10.3390/d11020022.
• Glasier J. R. N., S. Nielsen, J. H. Acorn, L. H. Borysenko, and T. Radtke. 2016. A checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Saskatchewan. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 130(1): 40-48.
• Gregg R. E. 1945 (1944). The ants of the Chicago region. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 37: 447-480
• Gregg, R.T. 1963. The Ants of Colorado.
• Guénard B., K. A. Mccaffrey, A. Lucky, and R. R. Dunn. 2012. Ants of North Carolina: an updated list (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3552: 1-36.
• Ivanov, K. 2019. The ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): an updated checklist. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 70: 65–87.
• Ivanov K., L. Hightower, S. T. Dash, and J. B. Keiper. 2019. 150 years in the making: first comprehensive list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Virginia, USA. Zootaxa 4554 (2): 532–560.
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