Formica cinerea group

Based on Seifert 2002.

Species

 * Formica cinerea
 * Formica fuscocinerea
 * Formica selysi
 * Formica corsica
 * Formica georgica

Identification
Key to Formica cinerea group

Notes that preface the species key (follow the link above) include details about important characters that distinguish the cinerea group from others.

Within the Palaearctic members of the subgenus Serviformica, the F. cinerea group can be distinguished from any other species complex by a combination of large eyes and most developed occipital and gular pilosity. The extreme values of nest sample means range 0.30 l - 0.327 in EYE (1400), 6.0- 81.3 in nOcc, and 1.3-46.3 in nGu.

By morphology, the next related species complex is apparently the F. subpilosa group, being also similar in colony structure and habitat selection and taking over in Central Asia just the ecological niche occupied by the F. cinerea group in the W Palaearctic. The taxonomic separation of both groups might be questioned in view of the fact that Formica pamirica, the most hairy species of the F. subpilosa group and a typical river bank species, shows partial overlap with the least hairy species of the F. cinerea group in occipital and gular setae numbers. However, a clear separation of both groups and a monophyly of at least the cinerea group is supported by eye size differences which are significant for p < 0.0001 in any of the 24 possible between-group comparisons.

Related Pages

 * Formica
 * Formica species groups