Formica subpolita

Distribution
Western North America, south to Mexico.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: Canada, United States. Neotropical Region: Mexico.



Biology
Nevada, Wheeler and Wheeler (1986):

This species is found in abundance throughout the state from 4,300 ft. to 10,800 ft. (43% of the records 6,000-7,000 ft., 65% 6,000-8,000 ft., 93% 5,000-9,000 ft.). We have 204 records from 108 localities. Of these 64 were in the Cool Desert (2 in the cottonwood riparian), 51 in the Pinyon-Juniper Biome, 19 in the Coniferous Forest Biome, 8 from the ecotone above, and 5 in the Alpine Biome.

We have descriptions of 122 nests: 61 were under stones and 9 were under other objects lying on the ground; of the exposed nests 44 were surmounted by craters (4-10 cm in diameter with entrances 4-8 mm in diameter) and 8 by messy mounds of excavated soil. Colonies may be locally very numerous. Workers were timid and fast.

We have collected mealybugs from 3 nests (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae; det. D.R. Miller): Cryptoripersia tubulata McKenzie from Lamoille Canyon (9-32N-58) 7,000 ft. (Elko Co.) and from Mt. Jefferson 8,700 ft. (Nye Co.); Phenacoccus eschscholziae McKenzie from Carroll Summit (9-16N-38) 7,500 ft. (Lander Co.).

Fungi
This species is a host for the ectoparastic fungus Laboulbenia formicarum (Espadaler & Santamaria, 2012).

Nomenclature

 *  subpolita. Formica fusca var. subpolita Mayr, 1886d: 426 (w.q.) U.S.A. Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 534 (m.). Combination in F. (Serviformica): Emery, 1925b: 251. Subspecies of gagates: Dalla Torre, 1893: 199; of fusca: Emery, 1893i: 661. Raised to species: Wheeler, W.M. 1908g: 625; Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 532. Senior synonym of flammiventris: Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 532; Creighton, 1950a: 541; of camponoticeps, ficticia: Francoeur, 1973: 107.
 * rufiventris. Formica rufiventris Emery, 1893i: 665, pl. 22, fig. 11 (m.) U.S.A. [Junior primary homonym of rufiventris Fabricius, 1804: 409, above.] Replacement name: flammiventris Wheeler, W.M. 1912c: 90.
 * flammiventris. Formica flammiventris Wheeler, W.M. 1912c: 90. Replacement name for rufiventris Emery, 1893i: 665. [Junior primary homonym of rufiventris Fabricius, 1804: 409.] Junior synonym of subpolita: Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 532.
 * camponoticeps. Formica subpolita var. camponoticeps Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 535 (w.) U.S.A. Subspecies of subpolita: Creighton, 1950a: 542. Junior synonym of subpolita: Francoeur, 1973: 107.
 * ficticia. Formica subpolita var. ficticia Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 561 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. Subspecies of subpolita: Creighton, 1950a: 542. Junior synonym of subpolita: Francoeur, 1973: 107.