Formica uralensis

This is a boreal species which constructs small mounds from plant material. In some areas of Russia it is associated with bogs (Zryanin & Zryanina, 2007).

Identification
Head entirely black, dark area on dorsum of promesonotum dense black, gaster black, rest of alitrunk and appendages yellowish to brownish red. Head as broad as long, antennal scape broad and short. Frontal triangle sculptured and dull. Bristlelike hairs on dorsum of head, gula, alitrunk and gaster usually present but variable in number. Length: 4.5-8.0 mm (Collingwood 1979).

Distribution
Northeast Europe including N. Germany, Baltic States and West USSR; one record from Swiss Alps. Widely distributed in Mongolia and Central Siberia (Collingwood 1979).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Belarus, China, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine.

Biology
In Europe F. uralensis is typically found on lowland open mosses with scattered trees, more occasionally on drier heath. Nests may be isolated or in groups and are built up of leaf litter and twigs into rounded dome. The nest surface is of fine material which covers a large brood incubation chamber resting on a surface of coarse long twigs. Rosengren (1969) has studied its habits in South Finland; unlike members of the Formica rufa group, this species does not go deep within the nest to hibernate but the ants clump together under peat moss or among tree roots away from the summer nest. Food is mainly honey dew from surrounding betula scrub or pines. Although this species has superficial similarities to F. rufa group species it is morphologically well differentiated with its broad black head, short thick antennae and wide coarsely sculptured frontal triangle.

Nests are usually polygynous and may reproduce by colony fission but fresh colonies may also originate from adoption of fertile queens by Formica transkaucasica. Alatae occur in July. Its marshy habitat in Europe contrasts with the dry steppe habitat in Asia and may be related to the inability of this species to survive aggressive competition from other wood ant species since according to Rosengren (1969), although F. uralensis defends its territory it is easily overwhelmed by other ants such as Formica sanguinea and Myrmica rubra.

Nomenclature

 *  uralensis. Formica uralensis Ruzsky, 1895: 13 (w.q.m.) RUSSIA. [Also described as new by Ruzsky, 1896: 69.] Senior synonym of superba: Wu, 1990: 4. See also: Emery, 1909b: 189; Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 448; Karavaiev, 1936: 249; Stitz, 1939: 325; Dlussky, 1967a: 79; Kutter, 1977c: 274; Collingwood, 1979: 135; Kupyanskaya, 1990: 189.
 * superba. Formica pratensis var. superba Wheeler, W.M. 1933c: 65 (w.) CHINA. Raised to species: Santschi, 1941: 278. Junior synonym of uralensis: Wu, 1990: 4.

Worker
Wheeler (1933) as Formica pratensis superba - Length 5-6.5 mm.

Head, including the frontal area, thorax and abdomen opaque; mandibles and legs, including the coxae, distinctly shining. Eyes not hairy. Erect hairs golden yellow, very few on the head, gula and promesonotum; border of petiole ciliate; gaster with sparse, blunt, apparently deciduous hairs; pubescence grey, very fine, dense on the coxae and legs; more dilute and not concealing the opaque surface on the gaster. Thorax and petiole rather rich red; mandibles dark brown; entire head, center of pronotum and anteromedian portion of mesonotum and the gaster deep black, decidedly darker than the similar regions in the typical pratensis of Europe, which are really dark brown or brownish black. First gastric segment with a large, transverse red spot just above the petiolar articulation; antennae nearly black; legs dark brown, coxae and trochanters somewhat paler and more reddish; border of petiole not infuscated.

Type Material
Formica pratensis superba - Six specimens from Eastern Tomb, near Peking, China (Chi Ho).