Formica forsslundi

Identification
Bicoloured, appearance shining, pubescence very sparse. Eyes bare. Erect hairs are present sparsely on clypeus, head, alitrunk and on gaster tergites 2 to apex. Maxillary palps very short - 5 segmented. Head and scale deeply excised. Length: 4.0-6.5 mm (Collingwood 1979).

Seifert (2000) - Males: Hairs on eyes absent or very sparse; EyeHL 0-20 μm. ClySet 1-2. Mesosoma with semierect pubescence and a number of semierect setae (difference to Formica pressilabris). Craniad profile of forecoxae with semierect pubescence and without or only single standing setae. Pubescence in the ocellar triangle and on second gaster tergite dilute; sqrtPDF 3.6-5.5, sqrtPDG 4.3-6.9. Scape short; SL/CS 0.882 ± 0.019.

Distribution
Switzerland (very local), Denmark to Urals, very local outside Fennoscandia (Collingwood 1979).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Tibet. Palaearctic Region: Belarus, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Mongolia, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland.

Biology
This interesting species is found exclusively in wet heathland and mires in open forest. Colonies are started by queens securing adoption with Formica transkaucasica. Nests are constructed of leaf litter usually on the margins of wet ditches or fringes of boggy lakes. Alatae have been found in the nests during July (Collingwood 1979).

Nomenclature

 *  forsslundi. Formica (Coptoformica) forsslundi Lohmander, 1949: 163 (w.q.m.) SWEDEN. Senior synonym of strawinskii: Dlussky & Pisarski, 1971: 199; of brunneonitida, fossilabris: Seifert, 2000a: 552. See also: Kutter, 1977c: 285.
 * strawinskii. Formica forsslundi subsp. strawinskii Petal, 1963: 195, figs. 1a, 2a, 3, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7, 8a, 9a, 10a, 11 (w.q.m.) POLAND. Junior synonym of forsslundi: Dlussky & Pisarski, 1971: 199.
 * brunneonitida. Formica (Coptoformica) brunneonitida Dlussky, 1964: 1034, figs. (w.q.) MONGOLIA. Junior synonym of forsslundi: Seifert, 2000a: 552. See also: Dlussky, 1965a: 23.
 * fossilabris. Formica (Coptoformica) fossilabris Dlussky, 1965a: 25, fig. 16 (w.) TIBET. Junior synonym of forsslundi: Seifert, 2000a: 552.