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Wood Ants
The ''Formica rufa'' group is a subgeneric group within the genus ''Formica'', first proposed by William Morton Wheeler. This group contains the mound-building species of ''Formica'' commonly termed "wood ants" or "thatch-mound ants", which build prominent nests consisting of a mound of grass, litter, or conifer needles. The species ''Formica rufa'' or the red wood ant is the type species of this subgroup. This particular group can inhabit open deciduous woodlands, dense pine forests, and even moorland. Workers vary in size, the largest reaching about long. They can produce formic acid in their abdomens and eject it in the air when threatened.Dr Timothy BatcheloMsu.edu - Southern red wood ant Formica rufa/ref> The only function of males is to mate in flight with queens. Species previously attributed to the ''Microgyna'' group were transferred to the '' F. rufa'' group by the Wheelers in 1986. Colonies The genetic relationships in ''F. rufa'' group colonies can be complex. Co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formica Rufa
''Formica rufa'', also known as the red wood ant, southern wood ant, or horse ant, is a boreal ecosystem, boreal member of the Formica rufa group, ''Formica rufa'' group of ants, and is the type species for that group, being described already by Linnaeus. It is native to Eurasia, with a recorded distribution stretching from the middle of Scandinavia to the northern Iberian Peninsula, Iberia and Anatolia, and from Great Britain to Lake Baikal, with unconfirmed reportings of it also to the Russian Far East. There are claims that it can be found in North America, but this is not confirmed in specialised literature, and no recent publication where North American wood ants are listed mentions it as present, while records from North America are all listed as dubious or unconfirmed in a record compilation. The workers' heads and thoraces are colored red and the abdomen brownish-black, usually with dark patches on the head and promensonotum, although some individuals may be more uniform r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formica
''Formica'' is a genus of ants of the subfamily Formicinae, including species commonly known as wood ants, mound ants, thatching ants, and field ants. ''Formica'' is the type genus of the Formicidae, and of the subfamily Formicinae. The type species of genus ''Formica'' is the European red wood ant '' Formica rufa''. Ants of this genus tend to be between 4 and 8 mm long. Ants belonging to the ''Formica'' genus possess a single knob or bump located between their thorax and abdomen. These ants primarily feed on honeydew, a sugary liquid produced by aphids. ''Formica'' ants appear to take on a shepherding role with smaller aphids, relocating them to different parts of plants to ensure a continuous food source for the aphids. By doing so, the ants can establish a relatively sustainable honeydew supply for both themselves and their colony. Etymology The genus name ''Formica'' comes directly from the Latin ''formīca'', meaning "ant". Formic acid, which is produced by thes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Morton Wheeler
William Morton Wheeler (March 19, 1865 – April 19, 1937) was an American entomologist, myrmecologist and professor at Harvard University. Biography Early life and education William Morton Wheeler was born on March 19, 1865, to parents Julius Morton Wheeler and Caroline Georgiana Wheeler ( Anderson) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At a young age, Wheeler had an interest in natural history, first being when he observed a moth ensnared in a spiders web; such observation interested Wheeler that he became importunate for more nature lore. Wheeler attended public school, but, due to "persistently bad behavior", he was transferred to a local German academy which was known for its extreme discipline. After he completed his courses in the German academy, he attended a German normal school. In both institutions, Wheeler was trained in a variety of subjects: he was given training in languages, philosophy and science. By this time, he could read fluently in French, German, Greek, Italian, Lati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Type Species
In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological Type (biology), type wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or specimens). Article 67.1 A similar concept is used for suprageneric groups and called a type genus. In botanical nomenclature, these terms have no formal standing under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, code of nomenclature, but are sometimes borrowed from zoological nomenclature. In botany, the type of a genus name is a specimen (or, rarely, an illustration) which is also the type of a species name. The species name with that type can also be referred to as the type of the genus name. Names of genus and family ranks, the various subdivisions of those ranks, and some higher-rank names based on genus names, have suc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mercantour2
The Mercantour-Argentera massif (, ) is a massif in the Maritime Alps located astride the French departments of Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Piedmont. The name of the massif comes respectively from the summit of Mercantour, a secondary central summit, and from Monte Argentera, Mount Argentera, the highest point of the massif (), entirely in Italy. The massif is partially covered by two natural parks, the Mercantour National Park, Mercantour national park on the French side and the Maritime Alps Natural Park, Maritime Alps natural park on the Italian side. These parks are important because they protect many rare animal and plant species, like ''Speleomantes strinatii'' and ''Saxifraga florulenta'', which is only found in this massif and used to be a symbol of the Mercantour Park. The massif is also full of rivers and lakes, most of which were formed during the Last Glacial Period, last Ice Age and are found in the basins of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Social Parasitism (biology)
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson characterised parasites' way of feeding as "predators that eat prey in units of less than one". Parasites include single-celled protozoans such as the agents of malaria, sleeping sickness, and amoebic dysentery; animals such as hookworms, lice, mosquitoes, and vampire bats; fungi such as honey fungus and the agents of ringworm; and plants such as mistletoe, dodder, and the broomrapes. There are six major parasitic strategies of exploitation of animal hosts, namely parasitic castration, directly transmitted parasitism (by contact), trophicallytransmitted parasitism (by being eaten), vector-transmitted parasitism, parasitoidism, and micropredation. One major axis of classification concerns invasiveness: an endopara ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formica Fusca
''Formica fusca'' is a black-colored ant commonly found throughout Europe as well as parts of southern Asia and Africa. It has the common names silky ant or dusky ant. The range within the palaearctic region extends from Portugal in the west to Japan in the east and from Italy in the south to Fennoscandia in the north. Populations from North America have been split off as a separate species, '' Formica subaenescens''. ''F. fusca'' nests are usually found in rotten tree stumps or under stones in clearcut areas and along woodland borders and hedgerows. The species also often occurs in urban areas, feeding on honeydew secreted by the aphids found on weeds. Eusociality Colonies are facultatively polygynous (though weakly so, with a mean number of queen of 3.09); though the queens coexist amicably, contribution to the brood tends to be unequal. Nests are usually small, containing 500–2,000 workers. The workers are large, at long, and fast moving, though timid. To ensure that non-ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formica Aquilonia
''Formica aquilonia'', also called the Scottish wood ant, is a species of wood ant of the genus ''Formica'' which are widely distributed in Europe and Asia, occurring from Scandinavia in the north to Bulgaria and Italy in the south, and from the UK eastwards through France and Germany to Russia, while they are also found in the coastal areas of the Sea of Okhotsk in eastern Siberia. They live mainly in coniferous forests but they do also occur in some deciduous woodlands. Description The Scottish wood ant has a reddish-brown head and thorax and a black abdomen. At the back of the head is a short fringe of hairs but this does not extend as far as the eyes. This ant has fewer, shorter hairs than are present in the other wood ant species found in Britain. Distribution The Scottish wood ant has a wide distribution across northern Europe, its range extending from Scandinavia to Siberia. It also occurs in the cooler parts of mountainous regions of central Europe and Asia. In Scotlan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formica Lugubris
''Formica lugubris'', also known as the hairy wood ant is commonly found in wooded upland areas across northern Eurasia. Colonies construct large thatched mound nests occupied by thousands of workers, and one or more queens. Workers look similar to other species of wood ants (genus ''Formica''), but ''Formica lugubris'' workers can be identified by a fringe of hairs that reaches down to their eyes and prominent hairs between the facets of their compound eyes. Workers can reach sizes of up to 9 mm long; queens are larger, reaching 12 mm long. Behavior Each ant is able to recognize other members of their colony by a specific odor they all carry on them. Different odors allow them to also recognize other insects and ants from other colonies. When these ants encounter members of other ant species, these are usually considered intruders and are seized and dragged into the nest. Combat between ants is common and almost always ends with death of one ant. When red wood ants enco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formica Paralugubris
''Formica paralugubris'' is a species of ant. It is a member of the Formica rufa species group native to the Alps in the Palearctic realm. It is a cryptic species, often miscategorized as ''Formica lugubris'' due to morphological similarities. The two species are capable of differentiating one another, however; ''F. paralugubris'' ants react aggressively towards ''F. lugubris'' ants.''Formica paralugubris'' differs in its organization as a Ant supercolony, supercolony. It has been introduced into North America with the import of pine trees. It does not exhibit characteristics found in other invasive species due to its limited native range. Ecology Nestmates within a ''F. paralugubris'' colony can recognize each other. ''F. paralugubris'' worker ants are known to collect conifer resin and place near their brood; this resin contains antimicrobial properties that the ants often modify by releasing formic acid onto the resin. Formic acid in combination with resin has antifungal proper ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formica Polyctena
''Formica polyctena'' is a species of European red wood ant in the genus ''Formica'' and large family Formicidae. The species was first described by Arnold Förster in 1850. The latin species name ''polyctena'' is from Greek and literally means 'many cattle', referring to the species' habit of farming aphids for honeydew food. It is found in many European countries. It is a eusocial species, that has a distinct caste system of sterile workers and a very small reproductive caste. The ants have a genetic based cue that allow them to identify which other ants are members of their nest and which are foreign individuals. When facing these types of foreign invaders the ''F. polyctena'' has a system to activate an alarm. It can release pheromones which can trigger an alarm response in other nearby ants. It is found in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formica Pratensis
''Formica pratensis'', the black-backed meadow ant, is a species of European red wood ant in the family Formicidae. Systematic ''Formica pratensis'' is divided into these subspecies: *''Formica pratensis nuda'' Ruzsky, 1926 *''Formica pratensis pratensis'' Retzius, 1783 *''Formica pratensis starkei'' Betrem, 1960 Some morphs have previously been named as their own species, like ''F. nigropratensis'' Betrem 1962 and ''Formica nigricans'' Emery in 1909, but are now considered junior synonymes of ''Formica pratensis''. Description ''F. pratensis'' can reach a length of in workers, slightly larger than in other species such as the more common southern wood ant '' F. rufa'' or '' F. polyctena''. Queens reach a size of . The thorax is mainly reddish, while the abdomen and the top of the head are black or dark brown. Generally, this large ant is much darker than other species of wood ants. Their whole bodies are covered with fine hairs. Two large deep black patch are present on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
