Formica rufibarbis group

Based on Seifert and Schultz (2009)

Species

 * Formica anatolica
 * Formica clara
 * Formica clara sinae
 * Formica cunicularia
 * Formica glabridorsis
 * Formica orangea
 * Formica rufibarbis
 * Formica tarimica
 * Formica tianshanica

Diagnosis
Formica (Serviformica) rufibarbis group

Within the Palaearctic members of the subgenus Serviformica, the Formica rufibarbis group is diagnosable by the following character combination: mesosoma showing 25 to 100% reddish pigmentation; moderate to large body size (nest means of CS 1.075 - 1.731 mm); moderate eye size (nest means of EYE / CS1.4 0.274 - 0.312); posterior margin and underside of head normally without setae (nOCC and nGU may occasionally achieve 1.5 and 3.0 in Formica anatolica), mesosoma with zero to numerous setae; petiole scale rather wide (nest means of PEW / CS1.4 0.364 - 0.523), with a convex or bluntly angulate dorsal crest; gaster tergites with a dense, usually silvery pubescence (sqPDG1.4 2.7 - 3.9) and with more or less dense transverse micro-ripples (RipD1.4 3.8 - 9.2), thus appearing more matt at low magnifications. Range West Europe to East China. Moderately to strongly thermophilic; avoiding the boreal zone; in the temperate climate zone only in open, sun-exposed habitats; in warmer climate zones some species also occur-ring in woodland. Primary habitats are open grassland, and most species invade rural or suburban areas. Monodomous colonies with single to few queens. Simple, sometimes extended soil nests, frequently under stones, rarely with a flat mound of mineral soil particles or even some organic material. Predacious and trophobiotic.

Related Pages

 * Key to Formica rufibarbis group
 * Formica
 * Formica species groups