Formica montana

This ant nests in mounds of soil, occasionally with thatching. Reproductives were found in nests from May to July. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Identification
A light brown, hairy species. The metasternal process is well developed and surrounded with erect hairs. There are numerous erect hairs on the ventral surface of the head, the pronotum, propodeum, petiole and gaster. Many (or most) of the hairs are blunt-tipped. There are few hairs along the side of the head, usually extending anteriorly only to the anterior edge of the eye. The cheek is usually without erect hairs, (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

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

Habitat
In New Mexico (Mackay and Mackay 2002) - Prairies and meadows, up to pinyon-juniper and oak-pine forests.

Biology
This species is a host for the slave-making ants, and.

Nomenclature

 *  montana. Formica subpolita var. montana Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 571 (w.) U.S.A. [First available use of Formica fusca subsp. subpolita var. montana Emery, 1893i: 663; unavailable name.] Francoeur, 1973: 70 (q.m.); Hung, 1969: 455 (k.). Raised to species: Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 529. Senior synonym of neocinerea, rutilans: Creighton, 1950a: 534; Francoeur, 1973: 67.
 * neocinerea. Formica cinerea var. neocinerea Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 399 (in key) (w.q.m.) U.S.A. [Formica cinerea var. neocinerea Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 571. Nomen nudum.] Subspecies of cinerea: Buren, 1944a: 301. Junior synonym of montana: Creighton, 1950a: 534.
 * rutilans. Formica cinerea var. rutilans Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 399 (diagnosis in key) (w.) U.S.A. [Formica cinerea subsp. cinerea var. rutilans Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 525; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of montana: Creighton, 1950a: 534.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Amstutz M. E. 1943. The ants of the Kildeer plain area of Ohio (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). The Ohio Journal of Science 43(4): 165-173.
 * Carroll T. M. 2011. The ants of Indiana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Master's Thesis Purdue university, 385 pages.
 * Clark Adam. Personal communication on November 25th 2013.
 * Cokendolpher J. C., and O. F. Francke. 1990. The ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of western Texas. Part II. Subfamilies Ecitoninae, Ponerinae, Pseudomyrmecinae, Dolichoderinae, and Formicinae. Special Publications, the Museum. Texas Tech University 30:1-76.
 * Cole, A.C. 1936. An annotated list of the ants of Idaho (Hymenoptera; Formicidae). Canadian Entomologist 68(2):34-39
 * Coovert G. A. 2005. The Ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Ohio Biological Survey, Inc. 15(2): 1-207.
 * Coovert, G.A. 2005. The Ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin New Series Volume 15(2):1-196
 * Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
 * Downing H., and J. Clark. 2018. Ant biodiversity in the Northern Black Hills, South Dakota (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 91(2): 119-132.
 * Dubois, M.B. and W.E. Laberge. 1988. An Annotated list of the ants of Illionois. pages 133-156 in Advances in Myrmecology, J. Trager
 * Francoeur. A. 1973. Revision taxonomique des especes nearctiques du group fusca, genre Formica. Memoires de la Societe Entomologique du Quebec 3: 1-316.
 * Glasier J. R. N., S. Nielsen, J. H. Acorn, L. H. Borysenko, and T. Radtke. 2016. A checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Saskatchewan. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 130(1): 40-48.
 * Gregg, R.T. 1963. The Ants of Colorado.
 * Ivanov K. 2019. The ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): an updated checklist. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 70: 65–87.
 * Kannowski P. B. 1956. The ants of Ramsey County, North Dakota. American Midland Naturalist 56(1): 168-185.
 * Knowlton G. F. 1970. Ants of Curlew Valley. Proceedings of the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters 47(1): 208-212.
 * La Rivers I. 1968. A first listing of the ants of Nevada. Biological Society of Nevada, Occasional Papers 17: 1-12.
 * Longino, J.T. 2010. Personal Communication. Longino Collection Database
 * Mackay W. P., and E. E. Mackay. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 400 pp.
 * Mackay, W.P. and E. Mackay. XXXX. The Ants of New Mexico
 * Mallis A. 1941. A list of the ants of California with notes on their habits and distribution. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 40: 61-100.
 * Mann W. M. 1911. Notes on the guests of some Californian ants. Psyche (Cambridge) 18: 27-31.
 * Menke S. B., E. Gaulke, A. Hamel, and N. Vachter. 2015. The effects of restoration age and prescribed burns on grassland ant community structure. Environmental Entomology http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvv110
 * Menke S. B., and N. Vachter. 2014. A comparison of the effectiveness of pitfall traps and winkler litter samples for characterization of terrestrial ant (Formicidae) communities in temperate savannas. The Great Lakes Entomologist 47(3-4): 149-165.
 * Michigan State University, The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. Accessed on January 7th 2014 at http://www.arc.ent.msu.edu:8080/collection/index.jsp
 * O'Keefe S. T., J. L. Cook, T. Dudek, D. F. Wunneburger, M. D. Guzman, R. N. Coulson, and S. B. Vinson. 2000. The Distribution of Texas Ants. The Southwestern Entomologist 22: 1-92.
 * Wheeler G. C., and E. W. Wheeler. 1944. Ants of North Dakota. North Dakota Historical Quarterly 11:231-271.
 * Wheeler G. C., and J. Wheeler. 1987. A Checklist of the Ants of South Dakota. Prairie Nat. 19(3): 199-208.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1913. A revision of the ants of the genus Formica (Linné) Mayr. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 53: 379-565.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1917. A list of Indiana ants. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 26: 460-466.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1917. The mountain ants of western North America. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 52: 457-569.
 * Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1988. A checklist of the ants of Montana. Psyche 95:101-114
 * Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1988. A checklist of the ants of Wyoming. Insecta Mundi 2(3&4):230-239
 * Wheeler, G.C., J. Wheeler, T.D. Galloway and G.L. Ayre. 1989. A list of the ants of Manitoba. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Manitoba 45:34-49
 * Wyckhuys K. A. G., R. L. Koch, R. R. Kula, and G. E. Heimpel. 2009. Potential exposure of a classical biological control agent of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines, on non-target aphids in North America. Biol Invasions 11: 857871.