Formica paralugubris
Formica paralugubris | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Formicinae |
Tribe: | Formicini |
Genus: | Formica |
Species: | F. paralugubris |
Binomial name | |
Formica paralugubris Seifert, 1996 |
A mountain wood ant that is a sister species to Formica lugubris.
At a Glance | • Supercolonies • Invasive |
Identification
A sibling species of Formica lugubris, these two species can be separated using queen pilosity characters and morphometrics (tables and discriminant functions to separate these two species and Formica aquilonia are provided by Seifert 1996).
Keys including this Species
- Key to Nearctic species in the Formica rufa group
- Key to Palaearctic Formica rufa group species
- Key to Palaearctic species in the Formica rufa group
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 47.12° to 42.164167°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: Canada.
Palaearctic Region: Andorra, Austria, Germany, Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Switzerland (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. |
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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
Seifert (1996), in his description of this cryptic species provides rational for why this ant is distinct from its sibling species. This also suggests why our understanding of its biology, while studied, is entangled with studies of Formica lugubris.
During the last 18 years, a lot of biological investigations were performed on big polycalic colonies of Formica lugubris in the Swiss Jura mountains (e.g. Gris and Cherix 1977, Cherix and Rosengren 1979, Rosengren and Cherix 1980, Rosengren and Cherix 1981, Cherix 1983, Passera et al 1990, Cherix et al 1991, Cherix et al 1993, Walter et al., 1993). Extensive studies on allozyme variation (Pamilo et al 1992) gave clear evidence that there were two genetically distinct, sympatric species in the Swiss Jura mountains, where these species occur even syntopically. A clear exchange of genetic material between the two forms named 'type A' and 'type B' could not be demonstrated. In fact they behave like different species and show a clear preference for non-nestmate pupae of their own genetic type in a behavioural choice test (Rosengren et al 1994).
Balzani et al. (2022) investigated whether the presence of the introduced red wood ant F. paralugubris in a Southern Europe montane forest affects the frequency of nests of the native ant species. Two areas were identified: one where F. paralugubris was present and one where the species was absent. Both areas presented the same environmental conditions (i.e. same altitude, habitat, vegetation type, exposition), thus excluding other potential confounding factors and representing an ideal site for such an investigation. Ant nests were only found in the area non-occupied by F. paralugubris. The introduced red wood ant F. paralugubris was found to exclude other ants from the area they occupy. This is in line with previous findings on other red wood ant species (Johansson & Gibb, 2016; Robinson et al., 2016) and another introduced population of this species (Frizzi et al. 2018).
Flight Period
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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.
Castes
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Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- paralugubris. Formica paralugubris Seifert, 1996a: 199, figs. 4, 5 (w.q.) SWITZERLAND.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
![](/wiki/images/thumb/b/bb/Seifert_1996_F5_F6.jpg/200px-Seifert_1996_F5_F6.jpg)
Whole surface of head (except of genae), mesosoma, gaster, coxae, femora, and tibiae with numerous erect setae which are on average shorter than in Formica lugubris. Dorsal plane of scape frequently with several short and semierect hairs. Eyes with numerous erect hairs the longest of which measure 22-40 mm. Frons of head less matt than Formica pratensis, comparable to situation in Formica rufa. Scape shorter and thicker than in F. pratensis: the ratio scape length/maximum midpoint scape diameter is <9.60. Median area of clypeus, frons and back of head, antennae, coxae, femora, tibiae and gaster more or less blackish. Dorsum of promesonotum with a dark patch, which is less well defined than in pratensis. Remaining parts of head and mesosoma yellowish red. For morphometric data and distinction from F. lugubris see tables 1 and 2.
Queen
Occipital margin of head with 20-75 erect setae, which are normally 40-80 11m long. Dorsal plane of scape frequently with a number of shorter, semierect setae. Eyes with numerous erect hairs of 22--45 11m length. Standing setae on pronotum, mesonotum, scutellum, lateral mesopleuron, ventrolateral propodeum, lateral metapleuron, hind tibia, and frontal face of gaster definitely shorter than in lugubris. In contrast to this situation, the standing setae on the whole surface of all gaster sternites are very long (250-350 11m). Clypeus more shining than dorsum of head and genae. Mesonotum and scutellum mildly shining, but less than in rufa. Dorsum of gaster shining. Dorsum of first gaster tergite with very fine transversal microsculpture and closely set microfoveae of 9-13 mm diameter and 15-30 mm midpoint distance. The microfoveae are the basis for the pubescence hairs (Fig. 4). Median area of clypeus, frontal and occipital parts of head, upper pronotum, mesonotum, scutellum, gaster, and tibiae usually blackish. Genae, underside of head, coxae, femora, lower pronotum, lateral sclerites of mesosoma, and petiole yellowish red. For morphometric data and differences to lugubris and aquilonia see Tab. 3.
Type Material
Nest No. G5 near the Chalet a Roch field station, 5 km SSW Le Brassus in the Swiss Jura mountains. Holotype (a queen) and 10 paratypes (4 queens and 6 workers). The workers were collected on 5 May 1993 and the queens in June 1994. The labelling is "CH: Jura, 5.5. 1993, Chalet a Roch, nest G5" in the workers and "CH: Jura, 6. 1994, Chalet a Roch, nest G5" in case of queens. Another 24 worker paratypes originate from the nests G 1-G4, which belong to the same polycalic nest system as the holotype nest and were collected on 5 May 1993.
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).
- Baer, B. 2011. The copulation biology of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 14: 55-68.
- Balzani, P., Frizzi, F., Masoni, A., Santini, G. 2022. The effect of the introduced Red Wood Ant Formica paralugubris on the frequency of ant nests and first plesiobiotic association between Myrmica ruginodis (Nylander, 1846) and Lasius flavus (Fabricius, 1782). Sociobiology 69(4), e7901 (doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v69i4.7901).
- Bernasconi, C., Cherix, D., Seifert, B., Pamilo, P. 2011. Molecular taxonomy of the Formica rufa group (red wood ants) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a new cryptic species in the Swiss Alps? Myrmecological News 14: 37-47.
- Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
- Cherix, D. 1983. Intraspecific variations of alarm pheromones between two populations of the red wood ant Formica lugubris Zett. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft or Bulletin de la Societe Entomologique Suisse. 56:57-65.
- Cherix, D. 1991. Red wood ants. Ethology, Ecology and Evolution. 1:165.
- Cherix, D. and R. Rosengren. 1980. Estimation de la fidélité sur pistes et de l'âge des fourrageuses chez Formica lugubris Zett. dans le Jura suisse par la méthode de coloration au spray. Pages 61-69 in D. *Cherix, D., D. J. C. Fletcher, D. Chautems, W. Fortelius, G. Gris, L. Keller, R. Rosengren, E. L. Vargo, and F. Walter. 1993. Attraction of the sexes in Formica lugubris Zett (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Insectes Sociaux. 40(3):319-324. doi:10.1007/BF01242368
- Cherix, editor. Écologie des insectes sociaux. (L'Union Internationale pour l'Etude des Insectes Sociaux, Section française, Compte Rendu Colloque Annuel, Lausanne, 7-8 Sept. 1979). UIEIS Section Française, Nyon. xv + 160 p.
- Dekoninck, W., Maebe, K., Breyne, P., Hendrickx, F. 2014. Polygyny and strong genetic structuring within an isolated population of the wood ant Formica rufa. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 41, 95–111 (doi:10.3897/jhr.41.8191).
- Frizzi, F., Buonafede, L., Masoni, A., Balzani, P., Santini, G. 2022. Comparative analysis of facial coloration between introduced and source populations of the Red Wood Ant Formica paralugubris. Insects 13, 1137 (doi:10.3390/insects13121137).
- Frizzi, F., Masoni, A., Migliorini, M., Fanciulli, P.P., Cianferoni, F., Balzani, P., Giannotti, S., Davini, G., Frasconi Wendt, C., Santini, G. 2020. A comparative study of the fauna associated with nest mounds of native and introduced populations of the red wood ant Formica paralugubris. European Journal of Soil Biology 101, 103241. (doi:10.1016/j.ejsobi.2020.103241).
- 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).
- Goropashnaya, Anna V.; Fedorov, Vadim B.; Pamilo, Pekka 2004. Recent speciation in the Formica rufa group ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): inference from mitochondrial DNA phylogeny. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 32(1): 198-206 (mtDNA sequence data)
- Gris, G. and D. Cherix. 1977. Les grandes colonies de fourmis des bois du Jura (groupe Formica rufa). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft or Bulletin de la Societe Entomologique Suisse. 50:249-250.
- Meurville, M.-P., LeBoeuf, A.C. 2021. Trophallaxis: the functions and evolution of social fluid exchange in ant colonies (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 31: 1-30 (doi:10.25849/MYRMECOL.NEWS_031:001).
- Pamilo, P., D. Chautems, and D. Cherix. 1992. Genetic differentiation of disjunct populations of the ants Formica aquilonia and Formica lugubris in Europe. Insectes Sociaux. 39(1):15-29. doi:10.1007/BF01240528
- Pamilo, P., Kulmuni, J. 2022. Genetic identification of Formica rufa group species and their putative hybrids in northern Europe. Myrmecological News 32: 93-102 (doi:10.25849/MYRMECOL.NEWS_032:093).
- Passera, L., L. Keller, A. Grimal, D. Chautems, D. Cherix, D. J. C. Fletcher, W. Fortelius, R. Rosengren, and E. L. Vargo. 1990. Carbohydrates as energy source during the flight of sexuals of the ant Formica lugubris (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomologia Generalis. 15:25-32.
- Portinha, B., Avril, A., Bernasconi, C., Helanterä, H., Monaghan, J., Seifert, B., Sousa, V.C., Kulmuni, J., Nouhaud, P. 2021. Whole-genome analysis of multiple wood ant population pairs supports similar speciation histories, but different degrees of gene flow, across their European range. bioRxiv preprint (doi:10.1101/2021.03.10.434741).
- Rosengren, R. and D. Cherix. 1981. The pupa-carrying test as a taxonomic tool in the Formica rufa group. Pages 263-281 in P. E. Howse and J. L. Clément, editors. Biosystematics of social insects. Systematics Association Special Volume No. 19. Academic Press, London. 346 p.
- Rosengren, R., D. Chautems, D. Cherix, W. Fortelius, and L. Keller. 1994. Separation of two sympatric sibling species of Formica L. ants by a behavioural choice test based on brood discrimination. Memorabilia Zoologica. 48:237-249.
- Rosengren, R., K. Vepsäläinen, and H. Wuorenrinne. 1979. Distribution, nest densities and ecological significance of wood ants (the Formica rufa group) in Finland. Bulletin Section Regionale Ouest Paleartique / West Palaearctic Regional Section Bulletin, Organisation Internationale de Lutte Biologique Controle les Animaux et les Plantes Nuisible / International Organization for the Biological Control of Noxious Animals and Plants. II-3:181-213.
- Satria, R. 2017. Taxonomy of the ant genus Odontomachus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) in the Indo-Chinese and Indo-Malayan subregions. Ph.D. thesis, Tokyo Metropolitan University.
- Schifani, E. (2022). The new checklist of the Italian fauna: Formicidae. Biogeographia – The Journal of Integrative Biogeography 37, ucl006 (doi:10.21426/b637155803).
- Schifani, E., Castracani, C., Spotti, F.A., Giannetti, D., Ghizzoni, M., Gobbi, M., Lencioni, V., Pedrotti, L., Grasso, D.A., Mori, A. 2021. Social parasite ants in the Alps: a new site of the vulnerable Myrmica myrmicoxena and new uppermost altitudinal limit for M. microrubra. Sociobiology, 68(4): e7276 (doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7276).
- Schifani, E., Csősz, S., Viviano, R., Alicata, A. 2021. Ant diversity on the largest Mediterranean islands: on the presence or absence of 28 species in Sicily (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Natural History Sciences 8, 55–70 (doi:10.4081/nhs.2021.532).
- Schultner, E., Pulliainen, U. 2020. Brood recognition and discrimination in ants. Insectes Sociaux 67, 11–34 (doi:10.1007/s00040-019-00747-3).
- Seifert, B. 1996a. Formica paralugubris nov. spec. - a sympatric sibling species of Formica lugubris from the western Alps (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicoidea: Formicidae). Reichenbachia 31: 193-201 (page 199, figs. 4, 5 worker, queen described)
- Seifert, B. 2016. The supercolonial European wood ant Formica paralugubris SEIFERT, 1996 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) introduced to Canada and its predicted role in Nearctic forests. Myrmecological News 22, 11-20.
- 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).
- Walter, F., D. J. C. Fletcher, D. Chautems, D. Cherix, L. Keller, W. Francke, W. Fortelius, R. Rosengren, and E. L. Vargo. 1993. Identification of the sex pheromone of an ant, Formica lugubris (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Naturwissenschaften. 80(1):30-34. doi:10.1007/BF01139755
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- AntArea. Accessed on February 5th 2014 at http://antarea.fr/fourmi/
- Antarea (Personal Communication - Rumsais Blatrix- 27 April 2018)
- Antarea (at www.antarea.fr on June 11th 2017)
- Bernasconi C., A. Maeder, A. Freitag and D. Cherix. 2006. Formica paralugubris (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Italian Alps from new data and old data revisited. Myrmecologische Nachrichten. 8: 251-256
- Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
- Casevitz-Weulersse J., and C. Galkowski. 2009. Liste actualisee des Fourmis de France (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Bull. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 114: 475-510.
- Espadaler, X., X. Roig, and K. Gómez. "Cuatro nuevas citas de hormigas (Hymenopera, Formicidae) y actualización del listado para Cataluña (Península Ibérica)." Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa 40 (2007): 313-316.
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- Steiner F. M., S. Schödl, and B. C. Schlick-Steiner. 2002. Liste der Ameisen Österreichs (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Stand Oktober 2002. Beiträge zur Entomofaunistik 3: 17-25.
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