Map Snapshot
10 Records
Status
Prior to Trager's 2007 revision of the Formica pallidefulva species group, there was substantial confusion among several species within the group. This species has been lumped with F. dolosa in the past, under the now defunct name F. schaufussi, and older literature records may be confused. Formica incerta, as presently recognized, is primarily a grassland and field species, ranging from New England west to portions of the Great Plains and extending to grasslands east of the Rockies in Colorado. It also ranges down the Appalachians at higher elevations, in meadow habitats and balds. Despite a preference for grassland, this ant can occur in more marginal habitats like lawns and parks (Trager, 2007).
Relationships
This ant is the host species for the dulotic Polyergus lucidus.
Seasonality Snapshot
Source: Wikipedia
Formica incerta | |
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Formica incerta worker | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Formicinae |
Genus: | Formica |
Species: | F. incerta
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Binomial name | |
Formica incerta |
Formica incerta is a species of ant found in eastern North America. It is the most common species of Formica in many areas, and excavates underground nests with small entrance holes. Its diet includes nectar produced by extrafloral nectaries and honeydew, which it obtains from aphids and treehoppers. It is the main host for the slave-making ant Polyergus lucidus. F. incerta was first described by Italian entomologist Carlo Emery in 1893. Its specific name comes from the Latin incertus meaning "uncertain" and seems particularly apt given the subsequent uncertainty as to the validity of the species and the difficulty in distinguishing this ant from other species living in the same area.[1]
Description
[edit]A worker of F. incerta is very similar in appearance to Formica pallidefulva, but the former has a few chaetae on the mesosoma and around the petiole, while the latter does not. F. incerta is a slightly paler colour and less glossy than F. pallidefulva but considerable variability exists between specimens and between colonies.[2] The queen is larger than the workers and can be distinguished from a queen of other species by three dark spots on her thorax.[1]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Formica incerta is native to the eastern half of the United States. Its range extends from Minnesota, Nebraska, New England, and the Appalachian balds southwards to Colorado and possibly New Mexico. It is present in sandy and clayey soils and favors old grassland, meadows, and heathland, but is also found in sparse woodlands, forest rides, prairies, parks, lawns, and roadside verges. In many areas, it is the most abundant species of Formica ant and the first to recolonize restored grassland.[1][2]
Behaviour
[edit]The nest of F. incerta is excavated below ground and consists of one or more large chambers near the surface from which descend one or several vertical galleries about 1 cm (0.4 in) in diameter and up to 110 cm (43 in) long. The chambers in which the ants live radiate off these and typically measure 4 by 2.5 cm (2 by 1 in), each having a level floor and domed roof. No mound is seen on the surface above the nest, but a newly excavated entrance may be surrounded by a halo of ejected soil. The entrance is inconspicuous and up to 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter. Occasionally, two entrances to the nest are seen.[2]
A nest harbors several thousand ants and the eggs, larvae, and pupae. The largest colonies excavated in a Michigan study had several queens, a small number of winged females and developing reproductives, a few dozen immature workers, 2,000 mature workers, 2,000 pupae, 1,500 larvae, and a similar number of eggs. Some of the late-season larvae overwinter and augment the early-season workforce in the following year.[2] The worker ants emerge from the nest to forage during the day. Newly mated queens likely join an existing colony of the same species and new colonies are founded when workers dig a new nest near the original one, carry some of the brood across, and guide a queen to the new nest.[2]
Formica incerta has a varied diet, and workers forage for nectar produced by extrafloral nectaries on such plants as sunflowers and partridge peas. They also gather the honeydew from aphids and treehoppers and defend these food sources from non-nestmates, from ants of other species, and from parasitoids. In regions where larger ant species are numerous, they may be more furtive in their food-gathering behavior. On bare pastures, they are heavily preyed upon by northern flickers (Colaptes auratus).[1] They are also the main target species for raids by the slave-making ant Polyergus lucidus, which steals the pupae and late-stage larvae.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Species: Formica (pallidefulva) incerta". AntWeb. Archived from the original on 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
- ^ a b c d e Talbot, Mary (1948). "A Comparison of Two Ants of the Genus Formica". Ecology. 29 (3): 316–325. Bibcode:1948Ecol...29..316T. doi:10.2307/1930991. JSTOR 1930991.
- ^ Trager, James C. (2013). "Global revision of the genus Polyergus". Zootaxa. 3722 (4): 501–548. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3722.4.5. PMID 26171540.
External links
[edit]- Media related to Formica incerta at Wikimedia Commons