Formica orangea

Prefers dry steppe and semidesert habitats, in the vicinity of rivers or lakes. Invades rural areas and gardens. Nests found in moderately dry sand, often with characteristic slant gateways leading to the underground. Foraging on available trees, probably tending trophobionts. (Seifert and Schultz 2009)

Identification
Seifert and Schultz (2009) - A member of the Formica rufibarbis group. Formica orangea shows an unmistakable combination of orange colour, short head, short scape, high interocellar distance, low pronotal setae numbers and large microripple distance on gaster tergites.

Distribution
Seifert and Schultz (2009) - Occurring in the Oriental-Turanian and Central Asian floristic region of the south submeridional and meridional zones. Ranging from 58° (Iran) to 104° E (Mongolia) and 34° (Afghanistan) to 48° N (Kazakhstan) at elevations between 400 and 2200 m.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan.

Nomenclature

 *  orangea. Formica orangea Seifert & Schultz, 2009: 266, fig. 6 (w.) KYRGIZSTAN.

Worker
Medium-sized Serviformica species (CS 1.349 mm), head short (CL / CW1.4 1.111), scape shortest and distance of lateral ocelli largest within the Formica rufibarbis group (SL / CS1.4 1.021, OceD / CS1.4 0.172), eye relatively small (EYE / CS1.4 0.288), petiole relatively narrow (PEW / CS1.4 0.421). Clypeus with sharp median keel and fine longitudinal microcarinulae. Frontal triangle finely transversely rippled and with 35 - 60 short pubescence hairs. Eyes with microsetae of 10 - 13 μm maximum length. Total mean of unilateral setae numbers on different body parts predicted for a specimen with CS = 1.4 mm: pronotum 1.5, mesonotum 0.8, petiole scale dorsal of spiracle 0.2, flexor profile of hind tibia 0.3. Posterior margin of head and propodeum plus dorsolateral metapleuron normally without setae. Ventral coxae and gaster tergites with long setae. Dorsal mesonotal profile broadly rounded. Metanotal depression moderately deep. Propodeal dome in profile flatly rounded to angled, the basal profile sometimes slightly concave. Dorsal crest of petiole in frontal view broadly convex. Petiole scale in lateral aspect relatively low and thicker than in other species of the F. rufibarbis group, except Formica tarimica sp.n., with convex anterior and straight to slightly convex posterior profile. Gaster with transverse microripples of rather large distance (RipD 6.7 μm, second largest within the F. rufibarbis group) and covered by dense silvery pubescence (sqPDG 3.15). Pubescence on head, mesosoma and petiole less dense. Whole head, mesosoma, coxae, all appendages, and petiole in typical cases reddish yellow; sometimes in smaller specimens brown spots may occur on posterior vertex and dorsal promesonotum, but always with low contrast between the pigmented and the light parts, gaster always brown.

Type Material
Holotype worker plus 4 worker paratypes labelled “KIR:41.8327°N,71.1948°E Tshatkal valley, 1830 m R.Schultz 1998.07.28-115” and “Holotype Formica orangea Seifert & Schultz” / “Paratype Formica orangea Seifert & Schultz”, 5 paratype workers in ethanol, SMN Görlitz; from the same nest series: 3 mounted paratype workers and 19 paratype workers in ethanol, coll. RS.

Etymology
From the mainly orange body color.