Formica paralugubris

Formica paralugubris
	Queen - specimen type (FoCol0762) 1
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Genus:	Formica
Species:	F. paralugubris
Binomial name
	Formica paralugubris; Seifert, 1996

Last updated September 07, 2025

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.^[1]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.^[2]

Ecology

Nestmates within a F. paralugubris colony can recognize each other.^[1]F. paralugubris worker ants are known to collect conifer resin and place near their brood; this resin has antimicrobial properties^[3] that the ants often modify by releasing formic acid onto the resin. Formic acid in combination with conifer resin has antifungal properties.^[4]

References

1 2 Chapuisat, Michel; Bernasconi, Christian; Hoehn, Sophie; Reuter, Max (1 January 2005). "Nestmate recognition in the unicolonial ant Formica paralugubris". Behavioral Ecology. 16 (1): 15–19. doi: 10.1093/beheco/arh128 . Retrieved 30 November 2022.
↑ Seifert, Bernhard (February 16, 2015). "The supercolonial European wood ant Formica paralugubris SEIFERT, 1996 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) introduced to Canada and its predicted role in Nearctic forests" (PDF). Myrmecological News. 22. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
↑ Chapuisat, Michel; Oppliger, Anne; Magliano, Pasqualina; Christe, Philippe (2007). "Wood Ants Use Resin to Protect Themselves against Pathogens". Proceedings: Biological Sciences. 274 (1621): 2013–2017. doi:10.1098/rspb.2007.0531. ISSN 0962-8452. JSTOR 25249282. PMC 2275180 . PMID 17535794.
↑ Brütsch, Timothée; Jaffuel, Geoffrey; Vallat, Armelle; Turlings, Ted C. J.; Chapuisat, Michel (April 2017). "Wood ants produce a potent antimicrobial agent by applying formic acid on tree-collected resin". Ecology and Evolution. 7 (7): 2249–2254. Bibcode:2017EcoEv...7.2249B. doi: 10.1002/ece3.2834 . PMC 5383563 . PMID 28405288.

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[agg-1] 1 2 Chapuisat, Michel; Bernasconi, Christian; Hoehn, Sophie; Reuter, Max (1 January 2005). "Nestmate recognition in the unicolonial ant Formica paralugubris". Behavioral Ecology. 16 (1): 15–19. doi: 10.1093/beheco/arh128 . Retrieved 30 November 2022.

[2] Seifert, Bernhard (February 16, 2015). "The supercolonial European wood ant Formica paralugubris SEIFERT, 1996 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) introduced to Canada and its predicted role in Nearctic forests" (PDF). Myrmecological News. 22. Retrieved 30 November 2022.

[3] Chapuisat, Michel; Oppliger, Anne; Magliano, Pasqualina; Christe, Philippe (2007). "Wood Ants Use Resin to Protect Themselves against Pathogens". Proceedings: Biological Sciences. 274 (1621): 2013–2017. doi:10.1098/rspb.2007.0531. ISSN 0962-8452. JSTOR 25249282. PMC 2275180 . PMID 17535794.

[4] Brütsch, Timothée; Jaffuel, Geoffrey; Vallat, Armelle; Turlings, Ted C. J.; Chapuisat, Michel (April 2017). "Wood ants produce a potent antimicrobial agent by applying formic acid on tree-collected resin". Ecology and Evolution. 7 (7): 2249–2254. Bibcode:2017EcoEv...7.2249B. doi: 10.1002/ece3.2834 . PMC 5383563 . PMID 28405288.

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