Formica cinerea

This species characteristically occurs in drift sand on coastal dunes in North Europe but also locally inland on coarse morainic drift, and in sandy soils with sparse plant cover in Russia (Zryanin & Zryanina, 2007). It is an aggressive species living largely by predation. Nests may be founded by single queens but where the species is populous, colonies are frequently polygynous and polycalic. Alatae occur in July (Collingwood, 1979). Its ecology and distribution in Finland are described by Kilpäinen. Valkeila, Vesajoki and Wuorenrinna (1977).

Identification
Brownish black often with genae and mesopleural articulations brownish red. Whole body closely covered with silvery pubescence. Erect hairs numerous on all dorsal surfaces, also on femora, on occiput and on gula. From above occipital hairs extend round the posterior margin of the head to the eyes. Length: 4.0-6.5 mm (Collingwood 1979).

Distribution
Pyrenees to Urals, North Italy to Central Fennoscandia (Collingwood 1979) and the Russian Federation.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Iran, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine.

Biology
Ślipiński et al. 2015 (abstract): The abiotic conditions of the desert habitat fluctuate in a circadian rhythm of hot days and cold nights. Species living in desert habitats evolved many adaptations to increase their chances of survival. However, abiotic conditions in xerothermic habitats of a temperate climate are much different. Diurnal fluctuations are not as strong, but animals have to cope with seasonal changes and hibernate during the winter, which may potentially influence their adaptations to critical temperature conditions. We attempted to assess heat resistance adaptations using the example of a widely distributed xerothermic ant Formica cinerea. Using Real-Time PCR, we measured the expression of three heat shock protein genes (Hsp60, Hsp75, Hsp90) and assessed the adaptations of F. cinerea to enable foraging in risk prone conditions. The analysis of gene expression using the Generalized Linear Model surprisingly indicated that there was no significant effect of temperature when comparing workers from the control (23ºC) with workers foraging on the surface of hot sand (47-54ºC). As a next step we tried to estimate the threshold of a thermal resistance with the use of thermal chambers. Expression of all Hsps genes increase compare to the control group, expression of Hsp60 and Hsp90 continued up to 45ºC.

Other Insects
This ant has been associated with the butterfly Glaucopsyche alexis (Obregon et al. 2015).

Nomenclature

 *  cinerea. Formica cinerea Mayr, 1853c: 281 (w.q.) AUSTRIA. Mayr, 1855: 344 (m.). Combination in F. (Serviformica): Forel, 1915d: 64. Subspecies of fusca: Forel, 1874: 54; Emery & Forel, 1879: 451; Mayr, 1886d: 427; Forel, 1892i: 307; Emery, 1909b: 199; Bondroit, 1910: 483; Emery, 1914d: 159. Status as species: Mayr, 1861: 48; Emery, 1898c: 126; Ruzsky, 1902d: 12; Forel, 1904b: 385; Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 521; Forel, 1915d: 64; Emery, 1916b: 255; Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 550; Menozzi, 1918: 88; Bondroit, 1918: 53; Müller, 1923: 141; Emery, 1925b: 246; Karavaiev, 1929b: 214; Karavaiev, 1936: 224; Dlussky, 1967a: 65; Bernard, 1967: 300; Dlussky & Pisarski, 1971: 157; Pisarski, 1975: 42; Kutter, 1977c: 252; Collingwood, 1979: 124; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 264. Senior synonym of brevisetosa: Finzi, 1928a: 68; of subrufoides: Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 59. Material of the nomen nudum cinereoglebaria referred here: Dlussky & Pisarski, 1971: 157. Senior synonym of armenica, balcanina, iberica, imitans, italica, novaki: Seifert, 2002b: 251. Current subspecies: nominal plus cinereoimitans.
 * imitans. Formica cinerea var. imitans Ruzsky, 1902b: 472 (w.q.) RUSSIA. [Also described as new by Ruzsky, 1902c: 10 (footnote).] Karavaiev, 1936: 226 (m.). Junior synonym of rufibarbis: Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1926b: 97. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of cinerea: Karavaiev, 1927a: 302; Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929b: 39. Raised to species: Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 59. Senior synonym of ochracea, sabulosa: Dlussky, 1967a: 65. Junior synonym of cinerea: Seifert, 2002b: 251.
 * armenica. Formica cinerea var. armenica Ruzsky, 1905b: 406 (w.q.) ARMENIA. Combination in F. (Serviformica): Emery, 1925b: 246. Subspecies of cinerea: Dlussky, 1967a: 66; Arakelian, 1994: 92. Junior synonym of cinerea: Seifert, 2002b: 251.
 * subrufoides. Formica cinerea var. subrufoides Forel, 1913i: 360 (w.) AUSTRIA. Röszler, 1950: 219 (q.). Raised to species: Bondroit, 1918: 55; Kutter, 1977c: 255. Junior synonym of cinerea: Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 59.
 * brevisetosa. Formica (Serviformica) cinerea var. brevisetosa Karavaiev, 1927a: 302 (w.) UKRAINE. [Unresolved junior primary homonym of brevisetosa Ruzsky, above.] Junior synonym of cinerea: Finzi, 1928a: 68. See also comment in Seifert, 2002b: 267.
 * iberica. Formica cinerea var. iberica Finzi, 1928a: 71 (w.) SPAIN. Junior synonym of cinerea: Seifert, 2002b: 251.
 * italica. Formica cinerea var. italica Finzi, 1928a: 70 (w.) ITALY. Junior synonym of cinerea: Seifert, 2002b: 251.
 * sabulosa. Formica (Serviformica) cinerea var. sabulosa Karavaiev, 1931a: 315 (w.) UKRAINE. Junior synonym of imitans: Dlussky, 1967a: 65. See also comment in Seifert, 2002b: 267.
 * ochracea. Formica (Serviformica) cinerea var. ochracea Karavaiev, 1937: 177 (w.) UKRAINE. Junior synonym of imitans: Dlussky, 1967a: 65. See also comment in Seifert, 2002b: 267.
 * novaki. Formica cinerea var. novaki Kratochvíl, in Novak & Sadil, 1941: 106 (w.q.) CZECHOSLOVAKIA. Junior synonym of cinerea: Seifert, 2002b: 251.
 * balcanina. Formica balcanina Petrov & Collingwood, 1993: 349, figs. 1-5 (w.q.m.) YUGOSLAVIA. Junior synonym of cinerea: Seifert, 2002b: 251.