Formica morsei

Little is known concerning the biology of this species. It was originally collected in a deciduous forest near Boston, Massachusetts, but unfortunately the type locality has been converted to a shopping mall (S. Cover, pers. comm.). It is known from limited material including a few workers from the Adirondack Mountains, New York (collected by Gary Alpert).

Identification
The head of the worker of this species is wider than long, and rounded posteriorly. There only a few erect hairs scattered on the dorsum of the head, on the ventral surface of the head, on the dorsum of the mesosoma, and on the gaster. Many hairs are blunt-tipped, but are not spatulate. The entire ant is a yellowish brown color.

It is difficult to relate this ant to other species and it is probably a member of the microgyna group which both Wheeler (1906, 1913) and Creighton (1950) supported. It would not be likely to confuse this species with any others, based on the shape of the head, and color.

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

Biology
This species is likely to be a temporary parasite of another species of Formica, but its host is.

Nomenclature

 *  morsei. Formica morsei Wheeler, W.M. 1906a: 39, pl. 4, fig. 1 (w.) U.S.A.
 * Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1906b: 19; Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 480 (redescription); Creighton, 1950a: 504; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1462; Bolton, 1995b: 199; Ellison, et al. 2012: 162.