Myrmica ruginodis

Identification
Pale to dark reddish brown. Propodeal spines long and robust; area between their bases laterally striate, frontal triangle smooth and shining. Head and alitrunk coarsely longitudinally rugulose. Antennal scapes long and slender, gently and obliquely curved near their base. Petiole in profile massive with truncate dorsal area and abrupt step posteriorly to its junction with the postpetiole gives the easiest distinction from Myrmica rubra (L.). Head Index: 77.5; Frons Index: 48.3; Frontal Laminae Index: 91.3. Length: 4.0-6.0 mm. (Collingwood 1979)

Distribution
Northern Eurasia to Japan (Collingwood 1979).

This taxon was described from Finland. It is also found in Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Biology
Collingwood (1979) - This common species is abundant throughout the woodlands and high moorlands of North Europe to the North Cape. Brian and Brian (1949) showed that this species occurred in two incompletely dimorphic races, one polygynous with many small queens approaching the microgyne condition and one monogynous with single large queens which they termed var. microgyna and var. macrogyna respectively; microgyna was found to readily accept strange queens and to occur in more stable habitats often forming groups of nests as is common with Myrmica rubra; macrogyna is more aggressive and hostile to strange queens, has more populous nests and is more generally distributed, predominating in woodland and more transitory habitats (Brian and Brian, 1955). Both forms occur in Scandinavia but cannot in conventional taxonomy be regarded as either distinct species or biotopic subspecies because of wide overlap in morphology and habitat. Mating flights occur in August near or on the ground.

Nomenclature

 * dimidiata. Myrmica dimidiata Say, 1836: 293 (q.) U.S.A. Junior synonym of ruginodis: Weber, 1947: 448.
 *  ruginodis. Myrmica ruginodis Nylander, 1846a: 929, pl. 18, figs. 5, 30 (w.q.m.) FINLAND. Hauschteck, 1965: 325 (k.). Subspecies of rubra: Forel, 1874: 76; Emery & Forel, 1879: 460; Ruzsky, 1904a: 288; Bondroit, 1910: 498; Forel, 1915d: 28; Menozzi, 1918: 82; Karavaiev, 1927c: 258; of laevinodis: Mayr, 1886d: 450; Ruzsky, 1902d: 29. Junior synonym of rubra: Santschi, 1931b: 339. Status as species: Saunders, E. 1880: 214; André, 1883a: 317; Nasonov, 1889: 33; Forel, 1892i: 315; Bondroit, 1912: 351; Donisthorpe, 1915d: 115; Bondroit, 1918: 103; Santschi, 1919e: 244; Müller, 1923: 41; Finzi, 1926: 85; Stitz, 1939: 83; Novak & Sadil, 1941: 76; Holgersen, 1942: 8; Collingwood, 1958b: 68; Bernard, 1967: 120; Collingwood & Yarrow, 1969: 56; Kutter, 1977c: 67; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 530; Collingwood; 1979: 53; Seifert, 1988b: 6; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 86. Senior synonym of diluta: Mayr, 1861: 63, Radchenko, 2007: 28; of dimidiata: Weber, 1947: 448; of ruginodolaevinodis: Bernard, 1967: 120; Boven, 1977: 115; of mutata: Seifert, 1988b: 6; of macrogyna, microgyna: Bolton, 1995b: 282; of silvestrii, sontica, yoshiokai: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 236. See also: Radchenko, 2007: 30.
 * diluta. Myrmica diluta Nylander, 1849: 41 (w.) RUSSIA. Junior synonym of ruginodis: Mayr, 1861: 63; Radchenko, 2007: 28.
 * ruginodolaevinodis. Myrmica rubra var. ruginodolaevinodis Forel, 1874: 78 (q.m.) SWITZERLAND. Raised to species: Stitz, 1917: 347. Subspecies of rubra: Finzi, 1926: 86; Stitz, 1939: 84; Sadil, 1952: 241. Junior synonym of ruginodis: Bernard, 1967: 120; Boven, 1977: 115.
 * silvestrii. Myrmica ruginodis var. silvestrii Wheeler, W.M. 1928d: 100 (w.) JAPAN. Subspecies of rubra: Weber, 1947: 451. Raised to species: Collingwood, 1976: 301. Junior synonym of ruginodis: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 236.
 * sontica. Myrmica kurokii var. sontica Santschi, 1937h: 367 (w.) JAPAN. Currently subspecies of kurokii: Weber, 1947: 470. Junior synonym of ruginodis: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 236.
 * yoshiokai. Myrmica rubra subsp. yoshiokai Weber, 1947: 451 (w.) JAPAN. Raised to species: Collingwood, 1981: 26. Junior synonym of ruginodis: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 236.
 * macrogyna. Myrmica rubra var. macrogyna Brian, M.V. & Brian, A.D. 1949: 397 (q.m.) GREAT BRITAIN. Junior synonym of ruginodis: Bolton, 1995b: 281.
 * microgyna. Myrmica rubra var. microgyna Brian, M.V. & Brian, A.D. 1949: 397 (q.m.) GREAT BRITAIN. Junior synonym of ruginodis: Bolton, 1995b: 281.
 * mutata. Myrmica rubra var. mutata Sadil, 1952: 242, fig. I (w.) CZECHOSLOVAKIA. Junior synonym of ruginodis: Seifert, 1988b: 6.