Formica manni

Identification
The series of specimens includes many workers and three females, two from Kiona and one from Owen's Lake. At first sight this species, on account of its smooth and shining body and the character of the pubescence, appears to belong in the fusca group, but the structure of the clypeus seems to associate it more naturally with sanguinea. In the shape of the body it shows an even closer relationship to F. per­gandei, munda, and emeryi. The small size of the female seems to indicate that it is a parasitic species. Mr. Mann informs me that the colonies are small and nest under stones in dry, hot, and often sandy, desert country.

Distribution
Western United States.

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



Biology
Nevada, Wheeler and Wheeler (1986) - This species is abundant and widely distributed throughout the state north of latitude 38°N; 3,800-8,000 ft., mostly between 4,000 ft. and 7,000 ft. We have 120 records from 104 localities. Of these records 29 are from the Pinyon-Juniper Biome and 78 from the Cool Desert (18 from Sarcobatus Subclimax, 2 on the edge of a marsh, 1 on a revegetating playa, and 3 from disturbed habitats). We have no records from the Hot Desert, Coniferous Forest or Alpine Biomes. We have notes on 50 nests: 24 were under stones; 14 of the exposed nests were surmounted by a crater 5-17 cm in diameter; the remainder had a messy mass of excavated earth varying in shape. We have often noted that F. manni is fast and timid, but that some of the populous colonies may be aggressive. We found it once as a slave of Polyergus.

Nomenclature

 *  manni. Formica manni Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 420 (w.q.) U.S.A. Combination in F. (Raptiformica): Emery, 1925b: 259.

Worker
Length 3.5-4.5 mm. Body slender. Head, excluding the mandibles, longer than broad, a little narrower in front than behind, with straight sides and feebly convex posterior border. Clypeus carinate, its anterior border feebly and rather broadly notched in the middle. Frontal carinae sub­parallel behind. Antennae slender,  scapes  not incrassated  toward their tips. Thorax long, pro- and mesonotum moderately convex; mesoepinota.l constriction shallow; epinotum angular in profile, with subequal base and declivity. Petiole rather narrow; in profile cune­ ate, rather thick at the base, gradually narrowed towards the summit, with nearly flat anterior and posterior surfaces, the border rather sharp; seen from behind entire or very feebly excised in the middle. Legs rather long. Body very finely shagreened, shining, especially the gaster; the clypeus and mandibles somewhat more opaque, finely striated, the former also sparsely punctate. Hairs whitish, long, rather slender, erect, sparse; conspicuous on the upper surface of the head, clypeus, gula, thoracic dorsum, petiolar border, gaster, and fore coxae. Pubescence very short and sparse, most clearly visible on the gaster and legs but far from concealing the ground surface; scarcely perceptible on the cheeks and pleurae. Rich red, legs a little paler and more yellowish;  small workers darker and more brownish; tips of antennal funiculi and sometimes also the posterodorsal portion of the head in the large workers slightly infus­cated;   gaster  always deep black  throughout.

Queen
(DEALATED). Length  6-7  mm. Closely  resembling   the  worker  in  sculpture,  pilosity, and color. The notch in the clypeus is very broad and shallow and the carina very blunt or lacking. The petiole is broad, with a flat, very sharp border. The mesonotum bears three faint brownish blotches, the wing-insertions and sutures  of  the  thorax  are  blackish  and  the  base of  the first  gastric  segment  is  red,  the  posterior  borders  of  the seg­ments yellowish.

Type Material
Washington: Kiona, (W. M. Mann). Washington:  Wapata,  Wenatchee,  Ellensburg  (W. M.  Mann). California: Owen's Lake (H. F. Wickham).