Formica rufibarbis

This is a widely distributed species occurring throughout Europe, nesting in the ground with a single entrance hole or under stones. It is predatory and aggressive and readily attacks other species of ants and insects. New nests are started by single queens alone. Mature colonies are separate but may contain two or three queens with up to 500 or more workers. Alatae fly in late June and July (Collingwood 1979).

Identification
Head and alitrunk mainly red with variable amounts of dark on promesonotum and hind part of head. Gaster thickly pubescent, dull. Erect hairs numerous on pronotum and normally present on upper margin of scale, absent on gula and occiput. Length: 4.5-7.0 mm (Collingwood 1979).

Distribution
Portugal to Western Siberia, Mountains of Middle East to South Fennoscandia (Collingwood 1979).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India. Palaearctic Region: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Balearic Islands, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Iran, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Other Insects
This ant has been associated with a butterfly species that has recently been split into two species: Polyommatus icarus and Polyommatus celin. Presently it is unclear if this association is between F. rufibarus and one or the other of these butterflies, or both (Obregon et al. 2015).

Fungi
This species is a host for the ectoparastic fungus Aegeritella tuberculata (Espadaler & Santamaria, 2012).

Nomenclature

 *  rufibarbis. Formica rufibarbis Fabricius, 1793: 355 (w.) FRANCE. Jurine, 1807: 273 (q.m.); Emery, 1909b: 197 (q.m.). Combination in F. (Serviformica): Forel, 1915d: 64. Subspecies of fusca: Forel, 1874: 54; Mayr, 1886d: 427; Forel, 1892i: 307; Ruzsky, 1904b: 4; Wheeler, W.M. 1908g: 406; Emery, 1909b: 197; Forel, 1915d: 64; Emery, 1916b: 255; Santschi, 1919e: 247. Status as species: André, 1882b: 182; Nasonov, 1889: 19; Dalla Torre, 1893: 209; Emery, 1898c: 126; Ruzsky, 1902d: 11; Bingham, 1903: 335; Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 514; Donisthorpe, 1915d: 320; Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 550; Bondroit, 1918: 51; Emery, 1925b: 249; Karavaiev, 1927c: 286; Stitz, 1930: 238; Karavaiev, 1936: 234; Stitz, 1939: 355; Novak & Sadil, 1941: 107; Yarrow, 1954a: 231; Dlussky, 1967a: 73; Bernard, 1967: 297; Francoeur, 1973: 228; Collingwood, 1979: 128. Senior synonym of cinereorufibarbis: Bernard, 1967: 297; Collingwood, 1978: 73; Seifert & Schultz, 2009: 260; of defensor, fraterna: Forel, 1894c: 403; Bingham, 1903: 335; of nicaeensis: Roger, 1863b: 13; of piligera: Lomnicki, 1928: 9; Dlussky & Pisarski, 1971: 163; of stenoptera: Dalla Torre, 1893: 210; Yarrow, 1954a: 231; Dlussky, 1967a: 73. See also: Seifert & Schultz, 2009: 260. Current subspecies: nominal plus clarorufibarbis, subpilosorufibarbis.
 * nicaeensis. Formica nicaeensis Leach, 1825: 291 (w.q.m.) FRANCE. Junior synonym of rufibarbis: Roger, 1863b: 13.
 * cinereorufibarbis. Formica fusca var. cinereorufibarbis Forel, 1874: 55 (w.q.m.) SWITZERLAND. Combination in F. (Serviformica): Forel, 1915d: 64. Subspecies of rufibarbis: Dalla Torre, 1893: 210; of cinerea: Forel, 1915d: 64; Emery, 1916b: 255; Emery, 1925b: 246. Junior synonym of rufibarbis: Bernard, 1967: 297; of fuscocinerea: Dlussky & Pisarski, 1971: 161. Revived from synonymy and raised to species: Kutter, 1977c: 253. Junior synonym of rufibarbis: Collingwood, 1978: 73; Seifert & Schultz, 2009: 260.
 * defensor. Formica defensor Smith, F. 1878b: 11 (w.) CHINA. Junior synonym of rufibarbis: Forel, 1894c: 403.
 * fraterna. Formica fraterna Smith, F. 1878b: 11 (w.) CHINA. Junior synonym of rufibarbis: Forel, 1894c: 403; Bingham, 1903: 335.
 * piligera. Formica rufibarbis var. piligera Lomnicki, 1925a: 175 (w.q.) POLAND. Junior synonym of rufibarbis: Lomnicki, 1928: 9; Dlussky & Pisarski, 1971: 163.