Formica georgica

An inhabitant of river banks, meadows, and roadsides.

Identification
Seifert (2002) - A member of the Formica cinerea group. Formica georgica differs from Formica cinerea by much higher nPR and significantly higher setae numbers on the flexor side of metatibiae and petiole scale. Based upon nest samples means, F. georgica is convincingly separable from F. cinerea throughout its range by a canonical discriminant analysis.

Distribution
Seifert (2002) - Formica georgica is abundant throughout Georgia from 600 to 1900 m and follows there the course of rivers where it occurs on sand and gravel banks or poor pastures near the river side and at traffic roads. However, in contrast to F. cinerea, there is some tendency to penetrate also mesophilic meadows with more developed field layer where it competes with species of the Formica rufibarbis group and Formica fusca group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Georgia, Turkey.

Nomenclature

 *  georgica. Formica georgica Seifert, 2002b: 262, fig. 4 (w.) GEORGIA.

Worker
The largest species of the Formica cinerea group, mean CS 1403. Head moderately elongated, CL/CW(1400) 1.127. Scape of average length, SL/CS(1400) 1.047. Clypeus with a median keel, finely microreticulate, its anteriormost portion finely longitudinally microcarinulate. Frontal triangle finely transversally microcarinulate and with 40 short pubescence hairs. Eyes with few scattered microsetae of 4 - 7 mm length. Dorsal plane of scape without setae. Hairy species: All surfaces of head except genae, mesosoma, petiole, gaster, coxae, flexor margin of all femora with many setae. Nest sample means of setae numbers: genae 0 - 2.4, occipital margin in dorsal aspect 28.3 - 60.8, gula 10.3 - 20.8, propodeum 29.3 - 47.3, extensor profile of both hind femora 0 - 0.4, flexor profile of both hind femora 20.3 - 46.0; extensor profile of hind tibiae 0.0 - 1.3. In anterior view, number of setae surpassing petiolar scale margin above spiracular level 17.7 - 32.0; within these fringe setae, those directed dorsad equally numerous than those directed laterad. Transition between dorsal and caudal profiles of propodeum broadly convex or angulate-convex. Lateral mesonotum anterior of metathoracic spiracle densely microcarinulate, with an mean carinular crest distance of 4 - 5 mm; mean width of carinulae equal or slightly smaller than width of smooth interspaces. Dorsal margin of petiole in frontal view convex or (preferentially in larger specimens) forming an angle of 140°; in lateral aspect with convex anterior and slightly convex posterior profile and a rather acute apex. Head, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster covered by appressed, silvery pubescence comparable to situation in F. cinerea, PDG 8.0. Colour variable. Reddish morph: Vertex dark brown, gaster blackish brown, all remaining body parts light reddish brown. Dark morph: Whole head except the mandibular comers, whole mesosoma except the ventrolateral pronotum, and whole gaster blackish brown; remaining body parts more or less reddish brown. Intermediate colour forms with patchily coloured mesosoma occur.

Type Material
Holotype and two paratype workers, labelled Caucasus: Georgia: Passanauri 1600 m, 42.21 N, 44.41 E, leg. Wesenigk 1984.07.24; 5 paratype workers labelled Caucasus: Georgia: 42.21 N, 44.41 E, 1000 m leg. Wesenigk 1984.07.30; 3 paratype workers labelled Caucasus: Georgia: 42.40 N, 45.10 E, 1400 m verdichtete Wiese am Fluss leg. Seifert 1985.08.13; 3 paratype workers labelled »Caucasus: Georgia: Mzcheta 41.51 N, 44.46 E, 600 m Sandbank am Fluss Kura leg. Seifert 1985.07.23 659u; 3 paratype workers labelled Caucasus: Georgia: 1800 m 42.41 N, 44.37 E, Kazbegi Giinseweide am Terek-Fluss leg. Seifert 1985.08.10- 1194; all series in.