Manica invidia

This is the most widespread species in the genus Manica in North America. Found in a large number of habitats and elevations in the West, it often has a dense concentration of nests.

Identification
Slightly larger and similar to Myrmica but red or golden yellow in color.

Key to Manica of North America

Distribution
From the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Range in California, eastward to northeastern New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, the Black Hills of South Dakota and southwestern North Dakota, northwestward into British Columbia and Alberta, with 1 record from Alaska. (Wheeler and Wheeler 1986)

There is a single record of this species in Arizona collected from Jacob Lake at 7,900 feet (north rim of Grand Canyon) and published by Cole in 1937 in his list of ants of Arizona. This locality needs to be confirmed.

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

Habitat
Occurs in a number of habitats, usually forests (aspen, pine, spruce), but may occur in areas with sagebrush or in arid grasslands. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Biology
This wide ranging species is known from a variety of habitats including openings in coniferous forests, deciduous forests (river fringes), pinyon-juniper woodlands, grasslands, sagebrush, and cold deserts. It can be found in disturbed areas including parks, lawns, along highways and in areas with low vegetation and bare areas. It is not found in densely wooded areas.

Nuptial flights have been observed in late September. Colonies are started by multiple queens. Colony size can be as large as 400 workers for older nests. This species is the host for Formicoxenus chamberlini in Utah near Salt Lake City.

This species nests under stones and logs or simply in the soil with sand craters. Where this ant is found there is often a dense number of nest entrances. Workers feed on living insects and seeds. Reproductives are found in the nest from August to October. Although possessing a painful sting they are not aggressive. It is found between 4,000 and 9,000 feet in elevation.

Wheeler (1903) - About Colorado Springs, Colo., the nests of Myrmica mutica (=invidia) are of common, though sporadic occurrence. I have found them only in the loose silt and fine gravel of creek bottoms, especially along Monument Creek, Cheyenne Creek, and the tributaries of the Fontaine qui Bouille. Though I dug up many of the nests I was not fortunate enough to find the Formicoxenus chamberlini in any of these localities.

Nomenclature

 * mutica. Myrmica mutica Emery, 1895c: 311 (w.) U.S.A. [Junior primary homonym of Myrmica mutica: Nylander, 1849: 39 (now in Messor).] Replacement name: Manica invidia: Bolton, 1995b: 249. Wheeler, W.M. 1914d: 120 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1960b: 5 (l.). Combination in Myrmica (Oreomyrma): Wheeler, W.M. 1914d: 119; in M. (Neomyrma): Emery, 1915d: 69 (footnote); in M. (Manica): Emery, 1921f: 43; in Manica: Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, E.W. 1944: 244. See also: Creighton, 1950a: 109; Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1972b: 235.
 *  invidia. Manica invidia Bolton, 1995b: 249. Replacement name for Myrmica mutica Emery, 1895c: 311. [Junior primary homonym of Myrmica mutica: Nylander, 1849: 39 (now in Messor).] For previous history of name see under mutica, below.

Worker
Head subrectangular, as broad as long, with straight lateral borders and rounded posterior corners. Eyes at the middle of the sides. Clypeus convex, its anterior border very feebly sinuate in the middle. Mandibles with two large apical and about a dozen minute basal teeth. Antennal scapes, rather strongly curved and slightly flattened at the base, scarcely reaching beyond the posterior corners of the head. Funicular club 5-jointed. Thorax in profile with rounded pronotum and the mesonotum gently sloping to a rather deep constriction in front of the epinotum, which has a subequal base and declivity, the former feebly convex, the latter sloping and nearly straight. Petiole in profile longer than high, its node bluntly rounded, with concave anterior and convex posterior slopes; ventral surface of peduncle in front with a small, acute tooth. Postpetiole scarcely longer than broad, a little broader behind than in front, somewhat broader than the petiole; its ventral surface in profile straight. Gaster a little larger than the head. Legs long, tibiae and femora feebly clavate.

Subopaque; dental border of mandibles, postpetiole, gaster and legs shining. Mandibles, frontal area and front longitudinally rugose; remainder of the head longitudinally and rather indistinctly punctate-rugulose. Thorax finely rugose, longitudinally on the pleurae, pro- and mesonotum, transversely and more coarsely on the epinotum, Petiole and ventral portion of postpetiole finely and densely punctate. Gaster and legs with small, scattered, piligerous punctures. Hairs white, erect or suberect, coarse, rather short, abundant on all parts of the body, legs and scapes. Ferruginous red; gaster slightly paler; frontal area, and in some specimens also the antennal clubs, infuscated; mandibular teeth black.

Queen
Length, 6.5-7.5 ram. Closely resembling the worker, Postpetiole in some specimens opaque rugulose, or with only the node smooth and shining. Mesonotum and scutellum sharply and regularly longitudinally rugose, the former with an anteromedian and a pair of parapsidal blackish streaks. Wings grayish hyaline; veins pale brown, stigma dark brown.

Male
Length, 6-7 ram. Head, including the eyes and excluding the mandibles, distinctly broader than long, rounded behind. Mandibles similar to those of the worker, with two large apical and numerous minute basal teeth. Clypeus very convex, with entire anterior border. Antennm slender; scapes very short, not longer than the second funicular joint; which is three times as long as the first and of the same length as the succeeding joints. There is no differentiated club. Thorax rather small, narrower than the head through the eyes, with very distinct Mayrian furrows. Scutellum convex, epinotum, petiole and postpetiole much as in the worker. Gaster more slender, with the genital appendages proportionally larger and more exserted than in M. rubida. Shining; head opaque, indistinctly punctate and longitudinally rugulose; thorax subopaque, more shining above, longitudinally rugose-punctate even on the epinorum. Sides and ventral portions of petiole finely and densely punctate. Hairs much as in the worker but more delicate and flexuous. Black; dental borders of mandibles, tibia and tarsi brown or sordid yellowish; gaster red, often brownish in the middle above; base of first segment sometimes black or all of the gaster, except the base of the first segment, black. In other specimens the postpetiole is red. Wings colored as in the female.

Denver, Colorado E. Bethel (Theo Pergande?)
 * Type Locality