Formica podzolica

Nests are found under stones or logs, or in soil with small mounds (up to 50 cm diameter), sometimes with a covering of pebbles or thatching, in rocky loam soils. It is a host for the slavemaking species (Ruano et al., 2018; Savolainen & Deslippe, 2001; de la Mora et al., 2021),,  and  (Trager, 2013; de la Mora et al., 2021).

Distribution
Widespread in North America. Mexico: Chihuahua.

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

Habitat
In New Mexico (Mackay and Mackay 2002) - Urban areas, meadows, pinyon-juniper, up to ponderosa pine-riparian, fir, aspen, sand spruce forests.

Biology
For New Mexico (Mackay and Mackay 2002) - Brood was present in July and August, sexuals in August, and dealate females were collected in July and August (with first brood). These ants nest together with Lasius, with the brood of the 2 genera mixed. One mixed nest included Formica argentea, Formica  aserva, Formica  obtusopilosa,  Formica  lasioides and Myrmica, another contained Camponotus pennsylvanicus, two nests were together with Myrmica. It is enslaved by Formica aserva, Formica pergandei and Polyergus mexicanus.

Castes

 * Worker

Nomenclature

 *  podzolica. Formica podzolica Francoeur, 1973: 162, figs. 272-287 (w.q.m.) CANADA. Junior synonym of subsericea: Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1986g: 92. Revived from synonymy: Bolton, 1995b: 201.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Allred D. M. 1982. Ants of Utah. The Great Basin Naturalist 42: 415-511.
 * Allred, D.M. 1982. The ants of Utah. Great Basin Naturalist 42:415-511.
 * Boucher P., C. Hebert, A. Francoeur, and L. Sirois. 2015. Postfire succession of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) nesting in dead wood of northern boreal forest. Environ. Entomol. 44(5): 1316-1327: DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvv109
 * Deslippe, R.J. and R. Savolainen. 1995. Mechanisms of Competition in a Guild of Formicine Ants. Oikos 72(1):67-73
 * Ellison A. M., S. Record, A. Arguello, and N. J. Gotelli. 2007. Rapid Inventory of the Ant Assemblage in a Temperate Hardwood Forest: Species Composition and Assessment of Sampling Methods. Environ. Entomol. 36(4): 766-775.
 * Francoeur, A. 1997. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Yukon. Pages 901 910 in H.V. Danks and J.A. Downes (Eds.), Insects of the Yukon. Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods), Ottawa.
 * Francoeur. A. 1973. Revision taxonomique des especes nearctiques du group fusca, genre Formica. Memoires de la Societe Entomologique du Quebec 3: 1-316.
 * Glasier J. R. N., S. E. Nielsen, J. Acorn, and J. Pinzon. 2019. Boreal sand hills are areas of high diversity for Boreal ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Diversity 11, 22; doi:10.3390/d11020022.
 * Glasier J. R. N., S. Nielsen, J. H. Acorn, L. H. Borysenko, and T. Radtke. 2016. A checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Saskatchewan. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 130(1): 40-48.
 * Higgins J. W., N. S. Cobb, S. Sommer, R. J. Delph, and S. L. Brantley. 2014. Ground-dwelling arthropod responses to succession in a pinyon-juniper woodland. Ecosphere 5(1):5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES13-00270.1
 * Higgins R. J., and B. S. Lindgren. 2010. Ants of British Columbia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). 1-6.
 * Ivanov, K. 2019. The ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): an updated checklist. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 70: 65–87.
 * Lafleur B., W. F. J. Parsons, R. L. Bradley, and A. Francoeur. 2006. Ground-Nesting Ant Assemblages and Their Relationships to Habitat Factors Along a Chronosequence of Postfire-Regenerated Lichen-Spruce Woodland. Environmental Entomology. 35(6): 151-1524.
 * Lesica P., and P. B. Kannowski. 1998. Ants Create Hummocks and Alter Structure and Vegetation of a Montana Fen. Am. Midl. Nat. 139: 5868
 * Longino, J.T. 2010. Personal Communication. Longino Collection Database
 * MacKay W. P. 1993. Succession of ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on low-level nuclear waste sites in northern New Mexico. Sociobiology 23: 1-11.
 * Mackay W. P., and E. E. Mackay. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 400 pp.
 * Mackay, W., D. Lowrie, A. Fisher, E. Mackay, F. Barnes and D. Lowrie. 1988. The ants of Los Alamos County, New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). pages 79-131 in J.C. Trager, editor, Advances in Myrmecololgy.
 * Mackay, W., and E. Mackay. The ants of New Mexico. The Edwin Mellen Press, 2002.
 * Mackay, W.P. and E. Mackay. XXXX. The Ants of New Mexico
 * Nielsen, M.G. 1987. The ant fauna (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) in northern and Interior Alaska. Entomological News 98(2):74-88
 * Savolainen, R. and R.J. Deslippe. 1996. Slave addition increases sexual production of the facultative slave-making ant Formica subnuda. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 38:145-148
 * Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133
 * Wheeler G. C., J. N. Wheeler, and P. B. Kannowski. 1994. Checklist of the ants of Michigan (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The Great Lakes Entomologist 26(4): 297-310
 * Wheeler, G.C., J. Wheeler and P.B. Kannowski. 1994. CHECKLIST OF THE ANTS OF MICHIGAN (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE). Great Lakes Entomologist 26:1:297-310