Formica gnava

This ant nests under stones and in the soil without mounds. It feeds from extrafloral nectaries of the cholla (Opuntia spp), and forages into cotton wood trees. These ants can be very aggressive when the nest is disturbed, spraying formic acid at the intruder. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Identification
Bicolored with a dull surface.

Distribution
Southerwestern United States and Chihuahua Mexico.

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

Habitat
In New Mexico (Mackay and Mackay 2002) - Semi-deserts and shady canyons up to oak forests and pinyon pine forests and rarely to fir forests.

Nomenclature

 *  gnava. Formica gnava Buckley, 1866: 156 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. Combination in F. (Serviformica): Emery, 1925b: 250. Subspecies of fusca: Wheeler, W.M. 1902f: 20; of rufibarbis: Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 518; Creighton, 1950a: 539. Revived status as species: Francoeur, 1973: 238. Material of the nomen nudum subsericeoneorufibarbis (misspelled as subsericeorufibarbis by Emery, 1925b: 250) referred here by Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 518.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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 * Wheeler W. M. 1906. The ants of the Grand Cañon. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 22: 329-345.
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 * Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1985. A checklist of Texas ants. Prairie Naturalist 17:49-64.