Status

Formica argentea is a widespread member of the Formica fusca species group, ranging across much of North America, including much of the American west, through the Great Plains and Great Lakes regions into New England and Maritime Canada, but mostly absent from the southeast (Francoeur, 1973). This ant is partial to sandy substrates, and usually open, sunny habitats. Its specific epithet, argentea, means silvery, a reference to the dense pubescence covering this species, giving it a glossy, shiny appearance compared to relatives (Ellison et al., 2012).