Formica picea

Nests have been found in moss hummocks in boreal regions in Russia (Zryanin & Zryanina, 2007).

Distribution
The Reinig Line faunal divide separates East Siberian, Inner Mongolian, Chinese and Tibetan species from those of Central Siberia, West Siberia and the Turanian region (DE LATTIN, 1967). In ants, the Reinig Line is crossed only by a cold resistant species including Camponotus herculeanus, Formica exsecta, Formica gagatoides, Formica lugubris, Formica manchu, Formica picea, Formica pisarskii, Formica uralensis, Lasius flavus, Leptothorax acervorum and Tetramorium sibiricum (DLUSSKY, 1967; FRANCOEUR, 1983; SEIFERT, 2000, 2021a, 2021b).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India, Pakistan. Palaearctic Region: Andorra, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russian Federation, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Nomenclature

 *  picea. Formica picea Nylander, 1846a: 917 (w.q.) FINLAND. [Junior primary homonym of picea Leach, 1825: 292, above.] First available replacement name: candida Smith, F. 1878b: 11; designated by Bolton, 1995b: 201. Forel, 1914b: 1 (m.). Junior synonym of gagates: Nylander, 1856b: 65; Smith, F. 1858b: 6; Dalla Torre, 1893: 198. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of fusca: Emery, 1909b: 195. Revived status as species: Bondroit, 1912: 352. Subspecies of fusca: Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929a: 19. Status as species: Emery, 1916b: 254; Emery, 1925b: 249; Karavaiev, 1929b: 213; Karavaiev, 1936: 231; Dlussky, 1965a: 31; Dlussky, 1967a: 61; Dlussky & Pisarski, 1971: 153; Pisarski, 1975: 42; Tarbinsky, 1976: 183; Kutter, 1977c: 250; Kupyanskaya, 1990: 186. Senior synonym of candida: Emery, 1925b: 249; Karavaiev, 1936: 231; Dlussky, 1967a: 61; of glabra White: Donisthorpe, 1918a: 9; Dlussky, 1967a: 61; of transkaucasica: Emery, 1909b: 195; Donisthorpe, 1918a: 9; Karavaiev, 1936: 231; Dlussky, 1965a: 31; Dlussky, 1967a: 61; of inplana, lochmatteri, orientalis: Dlussky, 1965: 31; of piceoinplana: Dlussky, 1967a: 61. Material of the following unavailable names referred here: filchneri by Emery, 1909b: 195; piceoorientalis by Dlussky, 1965a: 31; transcaucasicogagates by Dlussky, 1967a: 61. Returned to valid species with picea as retained name: Seifert, 2004: 31. See also: Radchenko, 2007: 35.
 * glabra. Formica glabra White, W.F. 1884: 253 (w.) GREAT BRITAIN. [Unresolved junior primary homonym of glabra Gmelin, above.] Junior synonym of gagates: Dalla Torre, 1893: 188; of picea Nylander: Donisthorpe, 1918a: 9; Dlussky, 1967a: 61.
 * orientalis. Formica fusca subsp. orientalis Ruzsky, 1915a: 427, fig. 5 (w.) TIBET. Junior synonym of picea Nylander: Dlussky, 1965a: 31.
 * inplana. Formica (Serviformica) picea var. inplana Emery, 1925b: 249 (w.) TIBET. [First available use of Formica fusca subsp. picea var. inplana Ruzsky, 1915a: 426; unavailable name.] Subspecies of fusca: Ruzsky, 1936: 92. Junior synonym of picea Nylander: Dlussky, 1965a: 31.
 * piceoinplana. Formica (Serviformica) picea var. piceoinplana Emery, 1925b: 249 (w.) CHINA. [First available use of Formica fusca subsp. picea var. piceoinplana Ruzsky, 1915a: 426; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of picea Nylander: Dlussky, 1967a: 61.
 * lochmatteri. Formica (Serviformica) picea var. lochmatteri Stärcke, 1935: 265, fig. 4 (w.q.) CHINA/KASHMIR? Junior synonym of picea Nylander: Dlussky, 1965a: 31.

Description
Worker

Seifert (2004): Mean size distinctly smaller than Serviformica average: CS 1.22 mm. Head and scape significantly longer than in F. candida: CL / CW1.4 1.123, SL / CS1.4 1.030 (Tab. 1). Frontal triangle as shining as the adjacent surfaces. Cuticular surface of head, mesosoma and gaster as result of reduced pubescence and weak microsculpture shining; a denser pubescence is usually developed only on propodeum and petiole. However, pubescence and microsculpture significantly denser than in F. candida: on dorsal surface of first gaster tergite, average distance of transverse microripples 6.8 µm (RipD) and of pubescence hairs 74 µm (PDG). Clypeus, procoxae, ventral parts of meso- and metacoxae and all ventral and dorsal gaster sclerites with quite numerous and very long erect setae which are longer than in F. candida, GHL / CS 12.1 %. Setae numbers a little larger than in F. candida: Seen in lateral profile, hind vertex with 3 - 16 and central vertex with 2 - 7 setae. Both sides of pronotum usually with 5 - 17 and of mesonotum with 3 - 11 long, erect setae. Propodeum occasionally and petiole scale usually with single short setae. Flexor sides of both hind tibiae with a sum of 2 - 6 semierect to subdecumbent setae. Petiole scale variable, on the average narrower than in F. candida; its dorsal margin in frontal view fully convex or with a straight or concave median part; scale in lateral view not very thick with a tapering apex. Colouration pattern similar to situation in F. candida. For morphometric details of 62 worker specimens see Tab. 1.

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