Formica lugubris

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Formica lugubris
Formica lugubris casent0127733 profile 1.jpg
F. lugubris worker form Russia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Genus: Formica
Species:
F. lugubris
Binomial name
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. [2] 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. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Behavior

Each ant is able to recognize other members of their colony by a specific odor they all carry on them. [5] Different odors allow them to also recognize other insects and ants from other colonies. [5] When these ants encounter members of other ant species, these are usually considered intruders and are seized and dragged into the nest. [5] Combat between ants is common and almost always ends with death of one ant. [5] When red wood ants encounter members of different colonies similar responses may be made, although in populations where nests have multiple queens, there is often very little aggression between members of neighbouring nests. When aggression occurs, the ants are at first startled and enter an upright body position with their mouths open. [5] This is their way of showing threatening behavior. [5] When in contact, members of the same colony are not threatened by each other and do not show signs of aggression. Workers are able to release pheromones that can alert others to danger nearby; this is another way these ants use odors to communicate. [3] These ants typically mate during the month of June. [3] Unmated winged female ants release a pheromone that will attract a male. They will both fly off into the forest and mate on the ground, usually where there are no other worker ants around. [3] Not every ant can reproduce; reproductive males and females are larger than worker ants and have wings. [3] After mating, the male will die and the female will lose her wings and start a new colony. [3] Fertilized queens can take over the colonies of Serviformica ants. The queen lands on a Serviformica ant nest, finds and kills the Serviformica ant queen then takes her place. Her eggs are cared for by the Serviformica ant workers, and wood ant workers will replace them over time. [6]

Feeding behaviour

Formica lugubris are omnivorous ants that consume a variety of different foods. [4] Red wood ants prey on pestiferous insects and forest defoliators including spruce budworms. [7] As well as invertebrate prey, Formica lugubris collect large quantities of honeydew from sap sucking aphids in trees. This honeydew is a major source of carbohydrate for the adult workers and represents a significant input of carbon into soils in coniferous forests where they live, equivalent to 2-6% of the carbon influx due to needle litterfall. [8]

Nest PodJeleniStudankouMraveniste.jpg
Nest

Nests

F. lugubris lives in massive nests that can contain up to half a million colony members. [9] They form large, domed nests on southerly facing slopes in relatively open woodland, often along fire-breaks, tracks or in clearings. The nests have several mechanisms for keeping the internal temperature stable. The southerly orientation captures sunlight; the nest is flattened on the south side to present a greater surface area to the sun and in spring, large numbers of workers can be seen sunbathing on the nest. When warm they will go into the nest to release their heat inside. [3] [9] Their nests can also be home to other invertebrates, such as the shining guest ant Formicoxenus nitidulus , which is found only in the nests of F. lugubris and its close relatives. [10]

Location

Hairy wood ants are found primarily in upland conifer and mixed conifer forests, though also in deciduous woodlands. Their range extends throughout Northern Europe and parts of Asia north of the Himalayan-Tibetan barrier. [2] They also occur in mountains further south than their main populations, including the Alps, the Jura and the Pyrenees. [11] Within the British Isles, populations are healthy in the north of England and Scotland, but only a few nests persist in Ireland. [12] [11] A nest of what was previously thought to be Formica lugubris was established near Quebec in 1971 to evaluate its potential as a biological control; [7] however, this population has since been identified as the related species Formica paralugubris. [13]

Habitat

F. lugubris ants Formica lugubris.jpg
F. lugubris ants

This ant species is an edge specialist, with nests occurring along woodland edges, rides, firebreaks and in clearings. When the woodland canopy becomes too dense, it can shade out the ant nests. As a part of the UK biodiversity action plan, red wood ant preservation attempts are occurring. Colonies can be found in mixed conifer and deciduous woodland, and play a big role in the forest ecosystem. Each colony can reach up about three million ants and live in above ground nests. Nest size can range from as small as 10 cm to over 100 cm in height and up to 192 cm in width. [7] Size of the nest does not necessarily mean the nest is newer. Small nests can continue to thrive for years at a time. [7] Nests are normally located in sunny areas and near woodland rides and glades. [4] In areas where many colonies exist, linked trails can allow a super colony to form. [7] Nests are created are above ground and shaped in a dome. [14] They are made with plant material and soil debris. [8] The majority of the nest is created with organic matter. [14] Although the nests are made above ground, tunnels are created so that ants can reach to depths of 25–30 cm. [14] Ants change the area where they live by re-locating their nest material [8] These nests also provide a home to 43 different species of organisms. [8]

Threats

This ant does not have many natural predators, but its habitat is being destroyed by urban and industrial development. [4] Deforestation and clear felling are very damaging for the species. [15] Another issue is when plants take over an area, which causes loss of sunny areas in the forest where ants create their mounds. [4] Attempts to preserve the red wood ants are a part of the UK biodiversity plan.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ant</span> Family of insects

Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their geniculate (elbowed) antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists.

<i>Formica exsecta</i> Species of ant

Formica exsecta is a species of ant found from Western Europe to Asia.

<i>Formica</i> Genus of ants

Formica is a genus of ants of the family Formicidae, 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.

<i>Myrmica rubra</i> Species of ant

Myrmica rubra, also known as the common red ant or the European fire ant, is a species of ant of the genus Myrmica, found all over Europe and is now invasive in some parts of North America and Asia. It is mainly red in colour, with slightly darker pigmentation on the head. These ants live under stones and fallen trees, and in soil. They are aggressive, often attacking rather than running away, and are equipped with a stinger, though they lack the ability to spray formic acid like the genus Formica.

<i>Formica rufa</i> species group Group of 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.

<i>Formica rufa</i> Species of ant

Formica rufa, also known as the red wood ant, southern wood ant, or horse ant, is a boreal member of the 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 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. Workers' head and thorax are colored red and the abdomen brownish-black, usually with a dorsal dark patches on the head and promensonotum, although some individuals may be more uniform reddish and even have some red on the part of the gastern facing the body. In order to separate them from closely related species, specimens needs to be inspected under magnification, where difference in hairyness are among the telling characteristics, with Formica rufa being more hairy than per example Formica polyctena but less hairy than Formica lugubris. Workers are polymorphic, measuring 4.5–9 mm in length. They have large mandibles, and like many other ant species, they are able to spray formic acid from their abdomens as a defence. Formic acid was first extracted in 1671 by the English naturalist John Ray by distilling a large number of crushed ants of this species. Adult wood ants primarily feed on honeydew from aphids. Some groups form large networks of connected nests with multiple queen colonies, while others have single-queen colonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pharaoh ant</span> Species of ant

The pharaoh ant is a small (2 mm) yellow or light brown, almost transparent ant notorious for being a major indoor nuisance pest, especially in hospitals. A cryptogenic species, it has now been introduced to virtually every area of the world, including Europe, the Americas, Australasia and Southeast Asia. It is a major pest in the United States, Australia, and Europe. The ant's common name is said to be derived from the mistaken belief that it was one of the biblical Egyptian (pharaonic) plagues.

<i>Iridomyrmex</i> Genus of ants

Iridomyrmex is a genus of ants called rainbow ants first described by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr in 1862. He placed the genus in the subfamily Dolichoderinae of the family Formicidae. It has 79 described species and five fossil species. Most of these ants are native to Australia; others are found in Asia and Oceania, and they have been introduced to Brazil, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates. Fossil species are known from China, France, and the United States.

<i>Formica polyctena</i> Species of ant

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.

<i>Formicoxenus nitidulus</i> Species of ant

Formicoxenus nitidulus, or the shining guest ant, is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is found in Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as being a vulnerable species.

<i>Polyergus breviceps</i> Species of ant

Polyergus breviceps is a species of ant endemic to the United States. It is a social parasite of other ants, namely of Formica gnava but also of Formica occulta and Formica argentea. Polyergus is an inquiline parasite, having lost its ability to take care of its young and themselves. "The workers do not forage for food, feed the young or the queen, or even clean up their own nest". To survive, Polyergus workers raid Formica nests to steal the pupae—which, once hatched, become workers of the mixed nest. This sort of relationship is not unique, of the approximately 8,800 species of ants, at least 200 have evolved some form of symbiotic relationship with one another. What makes Polyergus special is the way a newly mated queen can, all by herself, take over a Formica nest and start a new colony.

<i>Rossomyrmex</i> Genus of ants

Rossomyrmex is a genus of slave-making ant in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus consists of four species, each with a single host from the genus Proformica, and has a very wide range of distribution from China to southeastern Spain, from huge extended plains to the top of high mountains.

<i>Formica sanguinea</i> Species of ant

Formica sanguinea, or blood-red ant, is a species of facultative slave-maker ant in the genus Formica characterized by the ability to secrete formic acid. It ranges from Central and Northern Europe through Russia to Japan, China, the Korean Peninsula, Africa and also the United States. This species is coloured red and black with workers up to 7 mm long.

<i>Formica truncorum</i> Species of ant

Formica truncorum is a species of wood ant from the genus Formica. It is distributed across a variety of locations worldwide, including central Europe and Japan. Workers can range from 3.5 to 9.0mm and are uniquely characterized by small hairs covering their entire bodies. Like all other ants, F. truncorum is eusocial and demonstrates many cooperative behaviors that are unique to its order. Colonies are either monogynous, with one queen, or polygynous, with many queens, and these two types of colonies differ in many characteristics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slave-making ant</span> Species of ants that steal young ants of another species to contribute to their colony

Slave-making ants or slaver ants are brood parasites that capture broods of other ant species to increase the worker force of their colony. After emerging in the slave-maker nest, slave workers work as if they were in their own colony, while parasite workers only concentrate on replenishing the labor force from neighboring host nests, a process called slave raiding.

<i>Polybia occidentalis</i> Species of wasp

Polybia occidentalis, commonly known as camoati, is a swarm-founding advanced eusocial wasp. Swarm-founding means that a swarm of these wasps find a nesting site and build the nest together. This species can be found in Central and South America. P. occidentalis preys on nectar, insects, and carbohydrate sources, while birds and ants prey on and parasitize them. P. occidentalis workers bite each other to communicate the time to start working.

This is a glossary of terms used in the descriptions of ants.

<i>Camponotus ligniperda</i> Brown-black carpenter ant

Camponotus ligniperda, the brown-black carpenter ant, is a common species of carpenter ant distributed widely throughout Europe. Found in a variety of woodland habitats, they commonly nest on the ground in dry tree stumps, dead fallen trees, or beneath stones and wooden logs that are partially buried. C. ligniperda is an ecologically dominant species wherever it is found due to both its large size and particularly aggressive nature.

<i>Formica paralugubris</i> Species of ant

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 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.

References

  1. ↑ Social Insects Specialist Group (1996). "Formica lugubris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 1996: e.T8643A12924499. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T8643A12924499.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Stockan, Jenni A; Robinson, Elva JH; Trager, James C; Yao, Izumi; Seifert, Bernhard (2016). "Introducing wood ants: evolution, phylogeny and distribution". In Stockan, Jenni A; Robinson, Elva JH (eds.). Wood Ant Ecology and Conservation. Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–36.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Walter, F; Fletcher (1993). "Identification of the sex pheromone of an ant, Formica lugubris (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)". Naturwissenschaften. 80 (1): 30–34. Bibcode:1993NW.....80...30W. doi:10.1007/BF01139755. S2CID   46528775.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Pinchen, Bryan. "Hairy wood ant (Formica lugubris)". Arkive. Archived from the original on 2012-05-04. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Moli, F.; Parmigiani (1982). "Intraspecific combat in the red wood ant". Aggressive Behavior. 8 (2): 145–148. doi:10.1002/1098-2337(1982)8:2<145::aid-ab2480080214>3.0.co;2-l.
  6. ↑ David Attenborough (2005) Life in the Undergrowth
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Storer, A. J.; Jurgensen, M. F.; Risch, A. C.; Delisle, J.; Hyslop, M. D. (2008). "The fate of an intentional introduction of Formica lugubris to North America from Europe". Journal of Applied Entomology. 132 (4): 276–280. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0418.2008.01275.x. ISSN   0931-2048. S2CID   85894527.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Domisch, Timo; Finér, Leena; Neuvonen, Seppo; NiemelÄ, Pekka; Risch, Anita; Kilpeläinen, Jouni; Ohashi, Mizue; Jurgensen, Martin (2009). "Foraging activity and dietary spectrum of wood ants (Formica rufa group) and their role in nutrient fluxes in boreal forests". Ecological Entomology. 34 (3): 369–377. Bibcode:2009EcoEn..34..369D. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2311.2009.01086.x . S2CID   83722707.
  9. 1 2 Chen, Yi-Huei; Robinson, Elva JH (2014). "The relationship between canopy cover and colony size of the wood ant Formica lugubris-implications for the thermal effects on a keystone ant species". PLOS ONE. 9 (12): e116113. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9k6113C. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116113 . PMC   4281126 . PMID   25551636.
  10. ↑ "Formicoxenus nitidulus Yarrow, 1955". Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society. Archived from the original on 2023-12-09. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  11. 1 2 Mäki-Petäys, Hannaleena; Breen, John (2007). "Genetic vulnerability of a remnant ant population". Conservation Genetics. 8 (2): 427–435. Bibcode:2007ConG....8..427M. doi:10.1007/s10592-006-9182-1. S2CID   11663689.
  12. ↑ Gyllenstrand, Niclas; Seppä, Perttu (2003). "Conservation genetics of the wood ant, Formica lugubris, in a fragmented landscape". Molecular Ecology. 12 (11): 2931–2940. Bibcode:2003MolEc..12.2931G. doi:10.1046/j.1365-294X.2003.01975.x. PMID   14629374. S2CID   28824770.
  13. ↑ Seifert, Bernhard (2016). "The supercolonial European wood ant Formica paralugubris Seifert, 1996 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) introduced to Canada and its predicted role in Nearctic forests". Myrmecological News. 22: 11–20.
  14. 1 2 3 Korganova, G.A; Rakhleeva (17 May 2006). "Testate amoebae (Testacea) in a Formica lugubris nest: fauna composition and structure". Entomological Review. 85 (2): 189–200. doi:10.1134/s0013873806110133. S2CID   24261043.
  15. ↑ Sorvari, Jouni (2016). "Wood ants: threats, conservation and management.". In Stockan, Jenni A; Robinson, Elva JH (eds.). Wood Ant Ecology and Conservation. Cambridge University Press. pp. 264–286.
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