Formica aerata

Distribution
California, western Nevada, and southern Oregon.

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

Biology
Nevada, Wheeler and Wheeler (1986) - Formica aerata is restricted to the midwestern part of the state. We have 61 records from 37 localities; 3,900-8,200 ft., but 75% are between 4,000 ft. and 4,900 ft. Thirty-five of these records are from the Cool Desert, but only 2 are from pure sagebrush habitat; the remainder are scattered thus: 2 from Sarcobatus Subclimax, 4 from cottonwood groves, 8 from disturbed cottonwood groves, 12 from cottonwood riparian, 4 from riparian, and 3 from disturbed habitat. Only 1 was from the Coniferous Forest Biome. Seven nests were under stones, 1 was under slightly buried wood. Four nests were surmounted by messy craters 50-150 mm in diameter and 3 by messy irregular mounds of soil. Workers were fast and timid. They were often seen ascending and descending cottonwood trunks. Workers tended Macrosiphoniella zerothermum (Knowlton and Russell) (Homoptera: Aphididae; det. L.M. Russell) on Artemisia tridentate at Sonoma Stage Sta., Lyon Co., 6,100 ft.

Nomenclature

 *  aerata. Formica aerata Francoeur, 1973: 116, figs. 183-189 (w.q.) U.S.A.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Allred D. M. 1982. Ants of Utah. The Great Basin Naturalist 42: 415-511.
 * Allred, D.M. 1982. The ants of Utah. Great Basin Naturalist 42:415-511.
 * Francoeur A., and R. R. Snelling. 1979. Notes for a revision of the ant genus Formica. 2. Reidentifications for some specimens from the T. W. Cook collection and new distribution data (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Contr. Sci. (Los Angel.) 309: 1-7.
 * Francoeur. A. 1973. Revision taxonomique des especes nearctiques du group fusca, genre Formica. Memoires de la Societe Entomologique du Quebec 3: 1-316.
 * Holway D.A. 1998. Effect of Argentine ant invasions on ground-dwelling arthropods in northern California riparian woodlands. Oecologia. 116: 252-258
 * Johnson R. Personnal Database. Accessed on February 5th 2014 at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/resources.htm
 * Ward P. S. 1987. Distribution of the introduced Argentine ant (Iridomyrmex humilis) in natural habitats of the lower Sacramento Valley and its effects on the indigenous ant fauna. Hilgardia 55: 1-16
 * Wheeler G. C., and J. Wheeler. 1986. The ants of Nevada. Los Angeles: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, vii + 138 pp.