Myrmica rubra

Identification
Yellowish brown. Sculpture dilute; frontal triangle and subspinal areas smooth and shining. Antennal scapes long and slender. Petiole node with short indistinct dorsal area sloping evenly without definite break to its junction with the postpetiole. Head Index: 79.5; Frons Index: 49.4; Frontal Laminae Index: 92.7. Length: 3.5-5.0 mm. (Collingwood 1979)

Distribution
A native of Europe, this species has become established in North America.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: Canada, Greenland, United States. Palaearctic Region: Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Europe
(Native Range), Collingwood (1979) - This is a lowland species often abundant where it occurs in sheltered valleys, usually in alluvial soil by riversides and on the coast. Colonies are normally polygynous with several to many queens and up to 1000 or more workers (Elmes, 1973b) nesting in the ground or under stones. Microgynes are quite frequent with this species (Collingwood, 1958; Elmes, 1973a). This is the most aggressive of the Myrmica species and stings freely. This ant tends aphids more consistently than other members of the genus and is frequently found collecting nectar on the inflorescence of umbelliflorae and other herbs. Mating flights occur in August and are orientated towards high buildings.

Nomenclature

 *  rubra. Formica rubra Linnaeus, 1758: 580 (w.) EUROPE. Latreille, 1802c: 248 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953a: 118 (l.); Hauschteck, 1965: 325 (k.). Combination in Myrmica: Latreille, 1804: 179. Senior synonym of laevinodis (and its junior synonyms bruesi, champlaini, longiscapus): Yarrow, 1955b: 114; Arnol'di, 1970b: 1839; Boven, 1977: 115; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 530; Collingwood, 1979: 52; Seifert, 1988b: 5; of europaea: Radchenko, Czechowski & Czechowska, 1997: 483; Czechowski, Radchenko & Czechowska, 2002: 17; of microrubra: Steiner, Schlick-Steiner, Konrad, et al. 2006: 777. Current subspecies: nominal plus khamensis, neolaevinodis. See also: Emery, 1908a: 169; Brian, M.V. & Brian, A.D. 1949: 393; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1350; Pearson, 1981: 75; Seifert, 1988b: 5; Onoyama, 1989a: 131; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 83; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 228.
 * laevinodis. Myrmica laevinodis Nylander, 1846a: 927, pl. 18, figs. 5, 31 (w.q.m.) FINLAND. Subspecies of rubra: Forel, 1874: 76; Emery & Forel, 1879: 460; Wheeler, W.M. 1906d: 315; Emery, 1914d: 156; Forel, 1915d: 28; Menozzi, 1918: 82; Karavaiev, 1927c: 259; Creighton, 1950a: 104. Status as species: Saunders, E. 1880: 215; André, 1883a: 316; Dalla Torre, 1893: 110; Ruzsky, 1905b: 662; Bondroit, 1912: 351; Donisthorpe, 1915d: 110; Bondroit, 1918: 104; Müller, 1923: 40; Finzi, 1926: 83; Stitz, 1939: 78; Holgersen, 1940: 184; Novak & Sadil, 1941: 76; Weber, 1947: 441; Bernard, 1967: 119; Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 22; Kutter, 1977c: 65. Senior synonym of longiscapus: Mayr, 1863: 433; of champlaini: Smith, M.R. 1951a: 789; of bruesi: Creighton, 1950a: 104. Junior synonym of rubra: Yarrow, 1955b: 114; Arnol'di, 1970b: 1839; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 530; Collingwood, 1979: 52; Seifert, 1988b: 5; Radchenko, 2007: 30.
 * europaea. Myrmica laevinodis var. europaea Finzi, 1926: 84 (w.) NORWAY. [First available use of Myrmica rubra subsp. champlaini var. europaea Forel, 1911h: 457; unavailable name.] Santschi, 1931b: 339 (m.). Subspecies of laevinodis: Stitz, 1939: 83; of rubra: Bolton, 1995b: 279. Junior synonym of rubra: Radchenko, Czechowski & Czechowska, 1997: 483; Czechowski, Radchenko & Czechowska, 2002: 17.
 * bruesi. Myrmica laevinodis var. bruesi Weber, 1947: 453 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. [First available use of Myrmica rubra subsp. laevinodis var. bruesi Wheeler, W.M. 1906a: 38; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of laevinodis: Creighton, 1950a: 104.
 * microrubra. Myrmica microrubra Seifert, 1993: 10, figs. 1, 4 (q.m.) GERMANY. Junior synonym of rubra: Steiner, Schlick-Steiner, Konrad, et al. 2006: 777. See also: Czechowski, Radchenko & Czechowska, 2002: 19; Radchenko & Elmes, 2003a: 236.

Additional References

 * [[Media:Brian & Brian 1949.pdf|Brian, M. V.; Brian, A. D. 1949. Observations on the taxonomy of the ants Myrmica rubra L. and M. laevinodis Nylander. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae.). Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. 100: 393-409 PDF]]


 * [[Media:Elmes 1973.pdf|Elmes, G. W. 1973. Miniature queens of the ant Myrmica rubra L. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Entomologist 106: 133-136 PDF]]

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