Formica obscuriventris

This species nests under logs or stones, usually partially covered with thatch. It is a host for the slave-maker.

Distribution
Southern Canada and New England southward to Virginia and thence westward to the Pacific.

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

Biology
Syrphidae in the genus Microdon are predators on ant brood within the nest.

Nevada, Wheeler and Wheeler (1986) - Our 48 records are widely scattered in that part of the state north of the Hot Desert boundary (with 1 exception); they represent 39 localities; 5,600-10,000 ft. Nine of these records were from the Cool Desert, 8 from the Pinyon-Juniper Biome, 6 from the Coniferous Forest, and 1 from the Alpine Biome. Our remarks about the nest of Formica obscuripes apply to F. obscuriventris but the latter seemed to produce more variants. The same applied to behavior, except that F. obscuriventris was more prone to send out foraging columns. Formica obscuriventris was found tending the aphid, Aphis filifoliae (Homoptera: Aphididae; det. L.M. Russell), on Pinus monophylla at Lehman Caves Nat. Mon., White Pine Co., 6,800 ft.

Nest site selected in areas of moderate to sparse cover. Nest begun under log or stone with many of the passages running into the soil. Moderate use made of thatching, often little of this visible on the outside of the nest. Large domes or heaps of thatching rarely produced (Creighton, 1940).

Nomenclature

 *  obscuriventris. Formica truncicola var. obscuriventris Mayr, 1870b: 951 (w.) U.S.A.
 * Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 446 (q.m.).
 * Subspecies of rufa: Mayr, 1886d: 426; Emery, 1893i: 649; Wheeler, W.M. 1906b: 16; Wheeler, W.M. 1908f: 623; Wheeler, W.M. 1908g: 408; Creighton, 1940a: 1, 8 (in key); Smith, M.R. 1951a: 870.
 * Subspecies of truncicola: Dalla Torre, 1893: 214; Wheeler, W.M. 1913c: 116; Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 445 (redescription); Wheeler, W.M. 1916m: 597; Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 540; Wheeler, W.M. 1917i: 464.
 * Status as species: Creighton, 1950a: 493; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1460; Allred, 1982: 472; Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1986g: 84; Bolton, 1995b: 200; Mackay & Mackay, 2002: 358; Coovert, 2005: 150; Ellison, et al. 2012: 166.
 * Senior synonym of dryas: Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 446.
 * Senior synonym of gymnomma: Creighton, 1950a: 493.
 * Senior synonym of clivia: Shattuck & Cover, 2016: 16.
 * clivia. Formica rufa subsp. clivia Creighton, 1940a: 8, 8 (in key), fig. 1 (w.q.m.) U.S.A.
 * Subspecies of rufa: Cole, 1942: 380; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 868.
 * Subspecies of obscuriventris: Creighton, 1950a: 494; Cole, 1954c: 165; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1460; Bolton, 1995b: 193; Mackay & Mackay, 2002: 358.
 * Junior synonym of obscuriventris: Shattuck & Cover, 2016: 16.
 * dryas. Formica dryas Wheeler, W.M. 1905c: 268 (w.q.) U.S.A.
 * Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1906b: 17.
 * Junior synonym of obscuriventris: Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 446.
 * gymnomma. Formica dryas var. gymnomma Wheeler, W.M. 1905c: 269 (w.) U.S.A.
 * Subspecies of dryas: Wheeler, W.M. 1906b: 17.
 * Subspecies of rufa: Creighton, 1940a: 3, 8 (in key); Smith, M.R. 1951a: 868.
 * Junior synonym of obscuriventris: Creighton, 1950a: 493; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1461.