Formica comata

This is a very aggressive ant species with large colony size in the Formica rufa group. It builds low mounds of earth and grass covered by a thin layer of thatch. Found in the southwest, this ant forages for a variety of insect prey.

Identification
Head, excluding the mandibles as broad as long. Mandibles 8-toothed. Mandibles finely and densely striate. Clypeus carinate, with broadly rounded anterior border. Erect hairs absent on the antennal scapes. Erect hairs present on the flexor surface of the femora and tibiae.

Distribution
This taxon was described from the United States. It is found in the states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.